Belina Wreck

Overview

The Belina is a small, shallow wreck sitting in the Sheraton Marina at Hurghada — an old safari boat, around 40m long, that now doubles as anchorage and a much-loved local training wreck. The visibility isn't the marina's strong suit, but the hull has become so densely overgrown that it ranks among the more rewarding shore-accessible wrecks in the area, and it's a staple of the Wreck Diver Specialty course.

The Dive

The Belina lies on a sandy bottom and is genuinely shallow, rising from about 9m all the way to the surface, which makes it an easy, low-stress dive with very long bottom times. Years in the marina have left the hull almost invisible beneath a thick coat of sponges and soft corals — the structure reads as a living reef more than a boat. Because it's purpose-friendly for training, it's frequently used for the controlled penetration portion of the Wreck Diver Specialty, with accessible openings and a forgiving depth that keep things conservative. As a shore or marina dive there's no boat ride involved; the trade-off is the setting, with visibility in the marina ranging from a murky 3m up to around 10m on a good day.

Marine Life

For a marina wreck, the abundance of life is the real surprise. The coral-and-sponge-covered hull shelters a busy macro community — several kinds of nudibranch, shrimpfish, tiny boxfish and crested velvet fish among them — alongside batfish, yellow-tailed barracuda and some notably large lionfish hanging off the structure. The growth is so complete that almost every surface is worth a slow, close look.

Good to Know

This is an all-levels site and a great first wreck — shallow, sheltered and easy to access from the Sheraton Marina, with no crossing required. Set expectations on visibility, which is the limiting factor here rather than depth or current; the murk is simply part of a busy working marina. It's most often dived for training or as a relaxed second dive, and the constant boat traffic overhead means good situational awareness and a surface marker are sensible.