SS Thistlegorm - Sharm El SHeikh

SS Thistlegorm – Red Sea Wreck Diving (Sharm El Sheikh)

Built in Sunderland, UK, in 1940, the SS Thistlegorm was a British merchant ship classified as an armed freighter. She sailed from England around the Cape of Good Hope and through the Suez Canal bound for Alexandria, Egypt. On the night of 6 October 1941, during WWII, two Heinkel He 111 bombers dropped two 2.5-tonne high-explosive bombs that sank the vessel. In the 1950s, Jacques Cousteau located the wreck with help from local fishermen.

Today the cargo turns the site into an underwater museum. Inside the holds are Bedford trucks, Universal Carrier armoured vehicles, Norton 16H and BSA motorcycles, aircraft wings for Westland Lysanders, cases of ammunition, Lee-Enfield Mk III rifles, and Wellington boots. Outside, you’ll find four Bren gun carriers, LMS Stanier Class 8F steam locomotives with coal and water tenders, a 3-inch light anti-aircraft gun, and a 4-inch cannon from WWI, reportedly test-fired only once.

To reach this iconic “Old Lady”, boats leave early from Sharm El Sheikh; the crossing can take up to 3.5 hours. Most trips include two dives—one outside (orientation/swim-around) and one inside (guided penetration of the cargo holds). Currents can be strong and the average depth is ~24 m (generally deeper than 18 m). Divers should have confident buoyancy, hold a 30 m certification (Advanced Open Water or equivalent), and use Nitrox on both dives to extend no-decompression limits.

Beyond the history, marine life is abundant: nudibranchs, schooling jacks playing in the current, and crocodilefish resting on the decks bring the wreck to life.

Book your dive package in Sharm El Sheikh or contact us for more information.