KAPTAN YUSUF KALKAVAN - Eilat
Kaptan Yusuf Kalkavan sits right near the Eilat Port entrance, which usually means a bit of boat traffic, but it also puts you on a wreck with some real history. This bulk carrier, nearly 160 meters long, ran aground back in '81, and now she’s a colossal artificial reef. We love exploring the sheer scale of the ship; it’s not often you get to dive something so big, so close to shore. The bow section, particularly the anchor chains and hawse pipes, is our favorite spot. You’ll often find schools of bigeye trevally circling there, their silver scales flashing in the sunlight filtering down. Further along the deck, the holds offer fantastic swim-throughs, dark and cavernous, where you might spot a large grouper lurking in the shadows. We’d suggest going early in the morning to beat the rush from the dive boats, as it can get busy. The visibility can vary depending on what’s stirred up from the port, but even on an average day, the sheer size of Kalkavan makes for an impressive dive. It’s a site that suits divers who appreciate a substantial wreck and don't mind a bit of current near the entrance.
- Location
- Eilat, Israel, Red Sea & Middle East
- Coordinates
- 29.858334, 32.508335
- Type
- wreck
- Maximum Depth
- 0m
Nearby Dive Sites in Eilat
- Abū Daraj Reef (reef)
- Al Qaţafah (reef)
- AL TAIF - 16m (wreck)
- AMERICANA - 16m (wreck)
- An Numūsīyah (reef)
- ASAKURA MARU NO 12 - 15m (wreck)
- As Sab‘ Ḩaţābāt (reef)
- Ataqa Reef (reef)
- Caves (cave)
- Ceasaria Maritima Old City
- Coral Beach Nature Reserve - 3-20m (reef)
- Dolphin Reef (reef)
- EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN - 3m (wreck)
- EL HADEY - 15m (wreck)
- EL IMAM MALEK - 1m (wreck)
Nearest Dive Centres to KAPTAN YUSUF KALKAVAN
- AVIDAG
- Divers & Co - ["PADI"]
Marine Life in Eilat
Home to 147 recorded species including 100 reef fish, 16 hard corals, 8 sea snails & nudibranchs, 5 whales & dolphins, 4 clams & mussels, 3 seagrass & algae.
Notable Species
- Marbled Spinefoot (Siganus rivulatus) - Reef Fish
- Lesser valley coral (Platygyra lamellina) - Hard Corals
- Fluorescence grass coral (Galaxea fascicularis) - Hard Corals
- Red lionfish (Pterois miles) - Reef Fish
- Staghorn coral (Acropora eurystoma) - Hard Corals
- Grey Dolphin (Grampus griseus) - Whales & Dolphins
- Rock Cod (Epinephelus fasciatus) - Reef Fish
- Small giant clam (Tridacna maxima) - Clams & Mussels
- Snakefish (Trachinocephalus myops) - Reef Fish
- Starflower coral (Astreopora myriophthalma) - Hard Corals
- Red Squirrelfish (Sargocentron diadema) - Reef Fish
- Blacktail Butterflyfish (Chaetodon austriacus) - Reef Fish
- Klunzinger's wrasse (Thalassoma rueppellii) - Reef Fish
- Arabian Pinfish (Diplodus noct) - Reef Fish
- Rainbowfish (Stethojulis albovittata) - Reef Fish
- Banded Blue Sprat (Spratelloides gracilis) - Reef Fish
- Starry cup coral (Acanthastrea echinata) - Hard Corals
- Long-spined sea urchin (Diadema setosum) - Sea Urchins
- Cauliflower coral (Pocillopora verrucosa) - Hard Corals
- Yellow scroll coral (Turbinaria reniformis) - Hard Corals