NAFTILOS - Jeddah
Naftilos isn’t your typical deep, dark wreck dive. This steamship, driven ashore by a strong wind back in '68, sits so shallow that parts of her superstructure break the surface. We love that you can snorkel this one, but getting down amongst the hull means exploring a genuinely atmospheric piece of history. The ship's bow points north, and we find the stern section, with its enormous propeller, to be our favorite part. You can spend a good hour just finning around the propeller blades, watching the resident schools of snapper dart in and out of the shadows. The engine room is open to exploration for those with the right training, but even from the outside, the sheer scale of the machinery is impressive. We always spot a few scorpionfish camouflaged along the rusting plates. Be mindful of currents here; they can pick up, especially around the exposed sections of the wreck. It's a great site for photographers, offering fantastic natural light and plenty of interesting angles.
- Location
- Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Red Sea & Middle East
- Coordinates
- 21.457777, 39.148888
- Type
- wreck
- Maximum Depth
- 0m
Best Time to Dive in Jeddah
The warmest water temperatures in Jeddah occur in August, averaging 31.6°C. The coolest conditions are in February at 25.4°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 26.4°C
- February: 25.4°C
- March: 25.4°C
- April: 26.7°C
- May: 28.9°C
- June: 29.6°C
- July: 30.0°C
- August: 31.6°C
- September: 31.1°C
- October: 30.9°C
- November: 30.0°C
- December: 28.3°C
Nearby Dive Sites in Jeddah
- Abo Almadafee أبو المدافع - 18m (wreck)
- ABUSABAA I - 15m (wreck)
- Abu Tair - 24m (reef)
- AGIA VARVARA - 11m (wreck)
- Al Bedayah
- AlBuhairat - 5-25m (reef)
- ALEXANDER III - 10m (wreck)
- Al Fahal East
- Al Fahal North
- Al Fahal South
- Al Fahal vis Wreck (wreck)
- Al leeth
- AL MEDINA - 1m (wreck)
- Altafyah Middle Reef - 20m (reef)
- ALYAMAMA - 4m (wreck)
Nearest Dive Centres to NAFTILOS
- 17Sixty - ["PADI"]
- Advanced Diver Center
- Al-Haddad Scuba - SSI
- Al-Haddad SCUBA - Sheraton Resort
- Al Sanbouk - ["PADI"]
- Benya Marine Group - ["PADI"]
Marine Life in Jeddah
Home to 4 recorded species including 4 reef fish.
Notable Species
- Armed Squirrel-fish (Neoniphon sammara) - Reef Fish
- Blackspot Surgeonfish (Acanthurus nigrofuscus) - Reef Fish
- Rainbowfish (Halichoeres hortulanus) - Reef Fish
- Angelfish (Pygoplites diacanthus) - Reef Fish
Recommended Packing List for NAFTILOS
Based on average water temperature of 28.7°C, currents 7 cm/s.
- Shorty or Rashguard - warm 29°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