Thistlegorm Wreck Guide: How to Dive the SS Thistlegorm

The Thistlegorm wreck is a 126.5 m British cargo ship that lies upright in the Strait of Gubal, in the northern Red Sea, where German bombers sank her on 6 October 1941. Her wartime cargo is still in the holds and on the seabed. The deck is at about 16 to 18 m and the sand at about 30 to 32 m, so most divers need Advanced Open Water, a long day boat from Sharm El Sheikh or Hurghada, or a northern liveaboard.

This guide covers the practical side of a Thistlegorm dive that most pages skip: which boat to choose, what the two dives usually look like, what level you really need, and when conditions are best.

How deep is the Thistlegorm wreck?

The Thistlegorm wreck sits at about 30 m, but most of the dive is shallower. Coral Playground's Thistlegorm page lists a 16 to 32 m range, visibility of 15 to 25 m and a variable current. Operator guides give slightly different numbers for the shallowest structure (14 to 16 m), so treat the figures below as approximate.

The depths come from Aquarius, Master Liveaboards and liveaboard.com. The stern is the deepest part, so dive plans usually treat it with care. Nitrox is widely recommended for longer no-decompression time, but you need an enriched air certification to use it.

How did the SS Thistlegorm sink?

The SS Thistlegorm sank because a German air raid hit her ammunition. She was built in Sunderland in 1940 and left Glasgow in June 1941 for Alexandria, loaded with supplies for the British Army in Egypt. Her route was blocked by a collision in the Suez Canal, so her convoy anchored at a spot called Safe Anchorage F, near Sha'ab Ali, to wait (Wikipedia, PADI).

Two Heinkel He 111 bombers had flown from Crete to search for a troop ship. They failed to find it, but one crew spotted the anchored ships. At about 01:30 on 6 October 1941 two bombs struck Hold 4, near the stern. The ammunition stored there exploded and the ship broke apart. PADI says she sank in less than ten minutes.

Nine men died: four merchant sailors and five Royal Navy gunners, according to The Thistlegorm Project. HMS Carlisle, moored nearby, picked up the survivors.

The wreck was found again by Jacques Cousteau in the 1950s, with help from local fishermen. He recovered a motorcycle, the captain's safe and the ship's bell, then she was largely forgotten. In the 1990s the dive boat Poolster revisited her, using information from a fishing boat captain. Sharm El Sheikh was then growing as a diving resort, and the wreck became one of the most famous dive sites in the world. Wikipedia notes that The Times named her one of the top ten wreck dives in 2007.

What you can see on a Thistlegorm dive

The cargo is the reason to go. Her last voyage was a military supply run, and the manifest is still visible:

• Forward holds (1 and 2): motorcycles, Bedford trucks, crates of Bren guns and Lee-Enfield rifles, and ammunition boxes. Operator guides describe BSA and Norton motorcycles.
• Aircraft parts: Wikipedia lists Westland Lysander wings and Bristol Blenheim tailplanes among the aircraft parts visible on the wreck.
• The locomotives: two Stanier 8F steam locomotives were carried on deck. The blast threw them off the ship, and they now rest on the sand either side of the hull.
• The stern: the propeller and the stern gun, plus the wheelhouse and midship structure.
• Boots: the famous Wellington boots were mostly taken by divers over the years, so do not expect to find many (DIVE Magazine).

Marine life has turned the hull into a reef. Coral Playground's guide describes swarms of glassfish in the holds, batfish off the stern, schools of jacks and barracuda over the deck, and lionfish, scorpionfish, moray eels and the occasional turtle on the structure.

Day boat or liveaboard to the Thistlegorm?

For most Thistlegorm Egypt trips the choice is between a long day boat from Sharm El Sheikh, an overnight safari from Hurghada, or a northern liveaboard. The right one depends on how many dives you want on her and how early you want to be in the water.

Crossing times and start times come from Aquarius, liveaboard.com and PADI. Operators differ, so confirm the numbers with the centre you book.

Day boat from Sharm El Sheikh

This is the quickest way to tick the wreck off, and it is a long day: an early pick-up, a crossing of three to four hours, two dives and a late-afternoon return. Weather and a minimum number of divers can affect whether a trip runs, so browse Sharm El Sheikh dive centres and ask how often they run it.

Hurghada: safari or liveaboard

Hurghada trips are usually a two or three day safari or a liveaboard because of the long crossing, often paired with Abu Nuhas, with the Giannis D and the Carnatic on the way. Some day boats run it, so ask each centre for its crossing time. Our guide to the best dive sites in Hurghada covers the rest of the area.

Liveaboard

A liveaboard gives you the most time on the wreck. Boats from either port head north through the Gubal area, and most northern itineraries include two to three dives on her. You can compare northern Red Sea liveaboards by itinerary. For kit and what to pack, see our liveaboard packing checklist. If you fly home after a week of diving, DAN advises a minimum of 18 hours before flying after multiple days of diving, and substantially longer after dives with decompression stops (DAN).

What level do you need to dive the Thistlegorm?

Advanced Open Water is the practical minimum, plus some logged dives. PADI trains Open Water divers to 18 m and Advanced Open Water divers to 30 m (PADI). The Thistlegorm is about 30 m at the holds and up to 32 m at the stern, so the holds are at the 30 m limit PADI trains Advanced Open Water divers to, and the stern and seabed are at or just beyond it. Aquarius strongly recommends a deep specialty and at least 30 logged dives. PADI's Deep Diver specialty teaches diving to 40 m. Plan the stern with your guide and stay within your training. Coral Playground's site page lists Advanced Open Water as the certification level.

Operators also set their own requirements. PADI's history of the wreck says operators usually ask for Advanced Open Water plus 20 or more logged dives, and Master Liveaboards and one Sharm El Sheikh centre also cite 20 dives. Aquarius recommends 30. One centre says the 20 applies under local rules. These are operator practices, not a single national rule, so check the requirement on the trip you book. Good buoyancy matters on a wreck with fragile cargo, and you can refresh the skill on a certification course before you go.

Penetration

Going inside is optional, and many guides say it needs wreck training. The PADI Wreck Diver course covers techniques for entering intact wrecks and includes at least four dives with an instructor (PADI). Operator guides describe the second dive as the one that enters the holds, led by a guide and with a torch. Several recommend a wreck specialty or equivalent. Holds that are open to the sea can still silt up quickly, and the holds are overhead environments, so stay with your guide's plan and exit route.

Whether you may enter, and how far, is decided by your guide and operator on the day, not by this page. You can stay outside and still have an excellent dive.

Conditions, current and when to go

April to November is the calmest period for a Thistlegorm dive. Liveaboard.com says December to February can bring rough weather that cancels day trips. Sharm El Sheikh's long-term average sea temperature runs from about 22.8 °C in February to 29.5 °C in August (seatemperature.info). Our Red Sea dive seasons guide has the month-by-month picture.

Current is the main variable. Coral Playground's guide lists it as variable, and Aquarius describes it as often strong, around two knots at times. Dive plans are usually built around the tide, with a descent line and a guide. The holds are more sheltered than the open deck, which is why dive 2 is often the holds. Typical visibility is 15 to 25 m, and it can drop when current and silt are up.

A common way to plan the two dives:

1. Dive 1, outside: an orientation along the deck, bridge, stern and propeller, then the locomotives on the sand, with no penetration.
2. Dive 2, cargo: the holds, for qualified divers with a guide. The deep stern is sometimes done separately.

Diving her responsibly

The Thistlegorm is a war grave and an iron wreck that is slowly corroding. Do not touch the cargo, and do not take souvenirs. Unexploded ordnance is still on the wreck, and DIVE Magazine warns that many shells are live.

The wreck has already been damaged by boats tying up to it, and conservation groups have worked on it. HEPCA began its Saving the Red Sea Wrecks campaign, including a mooring-buoy system, in December 2007. SSI also reported a planned 15-day closure in January 2016 to install new buoys (SSI). Stay off the structure with your fins, keep your buoyancy neutral and follow the guide's no-touch rules.

If the Thistlegorm leaves you wanting more wrecks, the Ulysses and Abu Nuhas are the next step in the same region. The Rosalie Moller is a different level of dive: Coral Playground lists it as technical, from 18 to 50 m, and reached by liveaboard.

Frequently asked questions

How deep is the Thistlegorm wreck?

The Thistlegorm wreck rests upright at about 30 m, with the seabed near the stern at roughly 32 m. The main deck is shallower, at about 16 to 18 m, and the cargo holds sit at around 25 to 30 m. Coral Playground's guide lists a 16 to 32 m range, so the dive is less deep than the headline figure suggests.

How did the SS Thistlegorm sink?

German Heinkel He 111 bombers found her at anchor in the early hours of 6 October 1941, while she waited to enter the Suez Canal. Two bombs hit Hold 4 near the stern, and the ammunition stored there exploded. The blast broke the ship open and she sank within minutes, with her cargo still on board.

How many people died on the Thistlegorm?

Nine men died when the Thistlegorm was bombed on 6 October 1941: four merchant sailors and five Royal Navy gunners. The survivors were picked up by HMS Carlisle, which was moored nearby. Because of the loss of life, divers are asked to treat the wreck with respect and to touch and take nothing.

Why is the SS Thistlegorm a famous dive site?

She is famous because her wartime cargo is still in the holds and on the seabed: motorcycles, trucks, rifles, aircraft parts and two railway locomotives. She sits upright at recreational depths, was found by Jacques Cousteau in the 1950s, and became a major dive site in the 1990s. The Times ranked her a top ten wreck dive in 2007.

Can you dive the Thistlegorm with Open Water only?

Not realistically. The wreck reaches about 30 to 32 m, and PADI trains Open Water divers to 18 m and Advanced Open Water divers to 30 m. Operators usually ask for Advanced Open Water plus 20 or more logged dives, and one guide recommends 30 plus a deep specialty. Check your chosen centre's requirements before booking.

Can you dive the Thistlegorm from Hurghada?

Yes. From Hurghada the wreck is usually combined with Abu Nuhas on a two or three day safari or a northern liveaboard, which puts you on the wreck the next day. Some day boats also run it. Ask each centre for its crossing time, start time and the number of dives on the wreck.

If you are ready to plan, start with the Thistlegorm dive-site page, then browse dive centres and liveaboards to see which trips include her. The free Red Sea dive trip planner helps you build the rest of the week.