MALDIVE TRANSPORT - Safaga

The *Maldive Transport* sits upright in the sandy seabed, a real giant down there. We’ve always been drawn to the sheer scale of this one, a proper freighter from the 1950s, 130 meters long. Her bow faces north and the stern points south, and she's fairly intact despite the fire that sank her in 1972. Our favorite part is dropping onto the foredeck, then swimming over the massive cargo holds, gaping open now. You can descend into them, but it’s dark, so bring a good torch. The superstructure is what we really love to explore. We’ll spend a good chunk of time moving through the bridge and engine room areas, finding old gauges and rusted controls. Look out for the resident moray eels that have made homes in various nooks and crannies. We’ve also seen schooling bannerfish swirling around the masts, and goatfish sifting through the sand around the hull. This wreck is fantastic for experienced wreck divers looking for a proper penetration, but even outside, the sheer size and the way light plays through the structure makes it a rewarding dive for anyone comfortable with deep wrecks.

Location: Safaga, Egypt, Red Sea & Middle East
Coordinates: 26.698334, 33.938330
Type: wreck
Maximum Depth: 1m

Best Time to Dive in Safaga

The warmest water temperatures in Safaga occur in August, averaging 29.2°C. The coolest conditions are in March at 22.1°C.

Monthly Water Temperatures

January: 23.1°C
February: 22.3°C
March: 22.1°C
April: 22.8°C
May: 25.0°C
June: 26.5°C
July: 27.7°C
August: 29.2°C
September: 28.6°C
October: 27.4°C
November: 26.7°C
December: 24.9°C

Nearest Dive Centres to MALDIVE TRANSPORT

Aquastars Dive Centre & Dive Safaris - ["PADI"]
Atlantik Diving Center - ["PADI"]
Club Ras Soma Diving Center
Coraya Divers
Coraya Divers Naga Bay - PADI, SSI, CMAS
Coraya Divers Red Sea

Marine Life in Safaga

Home to 32 recorded species including 22 reef fish, 5 whales & dolphins, 2 seagrass & algae, 1 sharks & rays, 1 sea cucumbers, 1 hard corals.

Notable Species

Indian Ocean bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops aduncus) - Whales & Dolphins
White Dolphin (Sousa chinensis) - Whales & Dolphins
Long-beaked Dolphin (Stenella longirostris) - Whales & Dolphins
Bullethead Parrotfish (Chlorurus sordidus) - Reef Fish
Slender grouper (Anyperodon leucogrammicus) - Reef Fish
Whale Shark (Rhincodon typus) - Sharks & Rays
Desjardin's Sailfin Tang (Zebrasoma velifer) - Reef Fish
Diagonal Butterflyfish (Chaetodon fasciatus) - Reef Fish
Dapple coris (Coris variegata) - Reef Fish
Blue Trim Parrotfish (Scarus ghobban) - Reef Fish
Brownbanded wrasse (Halichoeres scapularis) - Reef Fish
Wrasse (Stethojulis interrupta) - Reef Fish
Wrasse (Cheilinus trilobatus) - Reef Fish
Klunzinger's wrasse (Thalassoma rueppellii) - Reef Fish
Banded thicklip (Hemigymnus fasciatus) - Reef Fish
Bottleneck Sea Cucumber (Holothuria (Thymiosycia) impatiens) - Sea Cucumbers
Dusky Wrasse (Halichoeres marginatus) - Reef Fish
Crested Sabretooth Blenny (Petroscirtes mitratus) - Reef Fish
Bridled Dolphin (Stenella attenuata) - Whales & Dolphins
Armed Squirrel-fish (Neoniphon sammara) - Reef Fish

Recommended Packing List for MALDIVE TRANSPORT

Based on average water temperature of 25.5°C, currents 16 cm/s.

Shorty or Rashguard - warm 26°C water needs minimal exposure protection
Mask - essential for every dive
Fins
BCD - buoyancy compensator
Regulator - your most safety-critical piece of gear
Dive Computer - tracks depth, time, and NDL
Surface Marker Buoy (SMB) - essential for boat pickups
Dive Torch - useful for crevices and colour at depth
Underwater Camera - capture your diving memories