Unanimous choice as the number one dive in Saudi Arabia. Not just because for the coal-fired ship that lays on its starboard side at 18 m, but because of the overall dive profile offered at this location. The dive boat drops the divers off in open water 50 m west of the wreck where they descend to the first shelf wall 45 m below. A short exploration of this wall reveals large sea fans one meter in diameter gently swaying in the current, black coral bushes host to crustaceans and small fish, and soft corals of pink and scarlet red. A light is required to see the vast array of colors at this depth and to see into the small cavern. On any given dive sharks, manta rays, and large carnivorous fish like bonito, blue fin jacks and kingfish may pass along the wall.

It seems as if you just arrived when the computer warns that the nitrogen intake is getting critical and it is time to ascend to shallower depths. The shelf gradually slopes towards the wreck and a normal swimming rate matches the required ascent rate perfectly. Divers arrive at the screw of the wreck with plenty of bottom time to see the resident moray eel and other aquatic life around the ship. Like other shallow wrecks in the area the surge of the waves above have taken their toll on the hull. Little is left intact except for a small section of the stern and the two boilers for which it is named. As she ship most probably has been down for over 100 years the amount of coral attached to it dismembered hull is as abundant as it is varied.

On this mega-dive the ascent carries on forward to the bow that is lying in less than 3 m of water. By circumventing the bow, the diver will swim into a crevice in the reef and find himself in a tunnel leading through the coral to and open pool that is 15 feet deep. There are a series of caves that penetrate the shallows of the reef in four directions, each offering bizarre coral formations and a laser show of light through the small openings from above. The current and surge can be strong so care must be taken not to damage the reef or injure the diver. As the depth is only 3-6 m divers may spend as much time as their air allows before being jettisoned through the short but dark cave leading to the canyon south of the wreck and the dive boat moored above. It is easy to see why this is the most popular dive offered in Jeddah.

This site is actually a torpedo shaped sea mound that is 200 Metres long and about 20 Metres wide at its widest point in the middle. Located between the Old Kings Palace and the South Elisa Shoal Marker in the middle of the inter-coastal shipping lane, the mound rises out of the 365 m bottom to a depth of 14 m at the surface. The north and south end taper in and down to the depths below with current varying in speed generally from the north, although no current, or currents from the south, are not uncommon.

Invariably tourist guests ask where there is the best possibility to see sharks and large schools of fish, Ala’s Reef is the ticket and often it is dived twice in the 21 dive package offered. Seldom are divers disappointed, the visibility is usually above the average of 30 m and the fish come out to play, especially with a strong northern current. A favorite dive scenario is to descend to 27 m on the southern tip and just wait for the fish to do their thing. There are always large schools of Black Triggerfish and baitfish like Sardines. These attract Yellowfin, Bluefin and Dusky Jacks, also Trevally, Queen fish, Mackerels, several verities of Tuna, and Red Snapper. These are open water pelagics that prey upon the reef in a great show of their speed and angling skill. Nigel, Lunartail and giant Greasy Grouper slowly patrol the bottom, edges and coral outcroppings of the reef, and occasionally in a flurry attack some unsuspecting prey. Parrot, Surgeons, and Unicornfish abound.

While the fish mentioned represents a rainbow of colors and a diversity of swimming and hunting skills, it is the larger fish like Humphead or Napoleon Parrotfish, Barracudas, Eagle Rays and Sharks that bring divers to this location. Ala’s reef is one of the few places to see Hammerhead Sharks with their eyes protruding from the extensions of their heads looking nervously at you when they cruise by. The much feared man-eaters like Oceanic Whitetips and Tiger Sharks, are commonly seen plying the deeper waters along the shelf. Smaller Whitetip Reef Sharks are usually seen every dive on the top of the reef and occasionally Manta Rays. It is best to dive here early morning before the seas get up and during the full moon cycle so the currents are really moving.

The undisputed best soft coral wall known to date in all of the waters off Saudi Arabia is unquestionably the 150 m section of the Redmah Wall. That is a bold claim but the site is open to inspection for anyone that may care to dispute it. Located on the northern end of the marker at Redmah Reef this wall never fails to deliver. Usually this dive is made after a visit to the outer reefs therefore the seas are usually rough, so it is best for the boat to drop divers off and let them drift along the wall towards the marker. After circumnavigating the coral heads at the front of the reef, the diver is confronted with a deep channel and vertical wall that parallels the reef. There are small channels to explore, that penetrate a few metres into the reef, and like most reefs it is best to drift along at 9-12 m to see the most reef fish and have the best color. There is hardly a square meter to be found that doesn’t have soft corals of some description and because there is a deep channel several species of sharks, and pelagic fish have surprised the unexpecting diver.

This dive is a photographer’s nightmare, as you really don’t know what to shoot next. There are Nudibranchs of every description and color, Starfish, spotted Hawkfish, Gobies, Feather and Basket Stars all of which are either attached to or semi hidden in the coral ready to pose. The wall offers sun silhouettes; back lit soft corals and unlimited choices of wide angle, close-up or microphotography. A little deeper there is a forest of whip coral covering 30 or more square metres of the hard coral bed. The dive is not over once you have passed this soft coral mass, for the landscape changes back in forth, from walls with small tunnels burrowing to the surface and coral outcroppings, to short shelves with scattered coral heads and huge Tabletop Corals all delicately colored in blossoms of Soft Corals and clusters of Sea Anemones with yellow Clownfish fussing about in their tentacles. It is not uncommon to see three or four Blue Spotted Rays on these sand shelves or as many Moray Eels lurking holes and under the coral ready to strike. Upon surfacing the dive boat picks the divers up along the wall so it is understood why this dive is so popular.

"The visibility was 150 feet and the divers saw six very large Potato Groupers, many Blue Fin Jacks and other pelagic fish in and around the wreck. This wreck sits upright in depths of 90 feet at the stern to just below the surface at the bow. The shallow depth accounts for the broken up condition of the wreck as the heavy seas have been wrecking havoc on the vessel since it went down in 1977. The cargo holds are empty as the cargo was removed in the effort to re-float the ship off the reef. Penetrations into the galley and electrical room were made and as the seas were calm, the whole wreck was surveyed by the divers from bow to stern." Captains Log, Sunday April 25, 1999 Jeddah.

The above entry was from the first Familiarization Trip made by the European Tour Agents and is typical of what may be expected when visiting this wreck. If the visibility is not good here, then it’s best to pack your lunch and go home, for it won’t be good anywhere. There can be high swells when mooring on the buoy above the wreck, which can be irritating to any passengers left on board. However, divers do not mind the chum as it attracts fish. Therefore, usually the boat pulls up on the leeside of the reef for the briefing and suiting up. This way the time exposed to swells is much less for the divers and they are able to get into the water before they become chummers themselves. A note of caution, the swells can cause sections of the broken up ship that weigh tons to move as much as 3-5 feet. In most cases divers can see and even hear the twisted metal moving moaning as the sea steadily claims her own. It is not wise to dive under these masses of metal or to be trapped or pinched between moving plates. The same goes for wreck penetrations that are risk in good conditions... they could prove fatal in bad circumstances. Proper training like Wreck Diving Specialties and common sense is well advised.

Perhaps the best example of coral heads covered in soft corals available off the Jeddah coast is the KLM Reef. Named for the Dutch carrier crew that was on board when it was first dived. These coral heads lay in 18 m of water along a wall that slopes to 65 m at the end of Horseshoe Reef so named for it’s shape. There are 14 in all varying in size from a few metres in diameter to over 30 metres. Sharks, Humphead Parrotfish or Wrasse and the full array of pelagic fish may be viewed along the drop off, but for sure Blue Spotted Rays, Grouper, and Red Snapper will be found cruising the channels between the coral heads.

The Staphonos Wreck lays on it port side and is the most intact wreck in the area, and it is well known to have the some of the best visibility as well. It is possible on a good day to photograph the full length of 287-foot ship. Staphonos was name of the ship when it went down in 1978 but it was first christened the Constable and is nicknamed the Cable Wreck for the cable cargo she carried. There are steel beams, corrugated sheets of asbestos and chain link fence in the cargo holds as well. A Guitar Shark lives near the bow and white tip sharks are commonly seen out along the ledge. There is always a large school of Goat fish and Blue Striped Snapper hanging out at the mast amidships. The ambient light from above naturally lights the cargo holds so the divers can swim through without lights, and even the bridge is accessible if you are careful. This wreck is the best to photograph to acquire good quality wreck pictures.

On the swim back to the cut where the coral gardens are, divers may slowly approach Blue Spotted Stingrays and pet them with his hand if he is careful. Angie’s Hole-in-the Wall has blooming with soft corals and a small sea fan gently rocks to the current. The divers surface in the middle of the cut after exploring these coral heads were made so famous for their beauty by the American photographer Woody Pridgen and his wife Angie in the last quarter century.

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