AFGHANISTAN - Port Sudan & Sanganeb

The Afghanistan wreck, north of Suakin, feels like a ghost ship. It’s an old steamer, built back in 1897, and you really get a sense of its history as you descend. At 50 metres, this is one for experienced divers only, and we love the challenge of getting down there to explore it properly. You're met with the vast, dark outline of the hull, stretched across the sandy bottom. The triple expansion engine is a highlight, impressive in its scale, and the bow section has some fantastic coral growth. We've seen schools of snapper congregating around the superstructure, and the occasional grey reef shark patrolling the perimeter. The visibility here is usually excellent, making the sheer size of the wreck even more impactful. It's a proper deep dive, so manage your bottom time, but for wreck enthusiasts, it's easily our favourite deep wreck in the area. The feeling of swimming through a piece of history, completely colonised by the sea, is quite something.

Location
Port Sudan & Sanganeb, Sudan, Red Sea & Middle East
Coordinates
19.791666, 37.358334
Type
wreck
Maximum Depth
50m

Wreck History - AFGHANISTAN

Vessel Type
cargo ship
Cause
grounding

The SS 'Afghanistan' was a classic steamship from the turn of the 20th century, built in 1897 by the renowned W. Gray & Co. Ltd. Owned by the Strick Line, she was a workhorse of the British merchant fleet, powered by a triple-expansion steam engine. Her career came to an abrupt end when she went aground on a reef approximately 40 miles north of Suakin in the Sudanese Red Sea. The remote and unforgiving reef system of this coastline left no room for error, and the vessel was badly wrecked and subsequently lost to the sea.

Lying at a depth of 50 meters, the 'Afghanistan' is now a challenging and rewarding dive reserved for experienced technical divers. The depth has helped preserve the wreck from the ravages of time and weather. Divers descending into the deep blue are greeted by the silhouette of a late-Victorian steamer. You can explore the remains of the powerful engine, the cargo holds, and the superstructure, all of which are now colonized by deep-water corals and patrolled by the larger pelagic species that inhabit the offshore reefs of Sudan. It is a hauntingly beautiful dive into maritime history.

Marine Protected Area: Sanganeb Atoll

Best Time to Dive in Port Sudan & Sanganeb

The warmest water temperatures in Port Sudan & Sanganeb occur in August, averaging 32.0°C. The coolest conditions are in February at 25.4°C.

Monthly Water Temperatures

  • January: 26.1°C
  • February: 25.4°C
  • March: 25.5°C
  • April: 26.7°C
  • May: 29.0°C
  • June: 30.1°C
  • July: 31.0°C
  • August: 32.0°C
  • September: 31.7°C
  • October: 30.9°C
  • November: 29.5°C
  • December: 28.1°C

Nearby Dive Sites in Port Sudan & Sanganeb

Marine Life in Port Sudan & Sanganeb

Home to 55 recorded species including 41 reef fish, 14 hard corals.

Notable Species

Recommended Packing List for AFGHANISTAN

Based on average water temperature of 28.8°C, currents 9 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