I was visiting the Red Sea as a guest of Diving World and spending a week on board their luxurious live-aboard Diving boat “Miss Nouran.” Our Dive Guide was that very popular Instructor Ali Baba who explained that, with prevailing winds being generally “onshore,” our Skipper – Captain Mohammed Hassan would carefully lay out two anchors onto the sand and allow the wind the push the boat gently back towards the Reef – thus presenting the dive platform right above the wreck and avoiding any contact whatsoever with the Corals.

I was very impressed with the way in which these two experts worked together – always taking great pride in getting each separate set of circumstances down to a fine art – but then they regard both the corals and the wrecks as far too important to damage!

Located just to the west of Bluff Point, the Ulysses lies “up” the Reef with he stern at 27m and her bows in very shallow water. The main body of the wreck is now on it’s port side and most of the decks have rotted away revealing a framework of iron girders – not dissimilar to that of the Carnatic on Sha’b Abu Nuhas Reef – in many way a very similar vessel and lost in 1869.

The currents – generally from the west, can be quite severe and, should they be running, it is best to get down into the shelter afforded by the wreck – i.e. along the decks – or even inside. The stern reveals the beautifully rounded features that were the style of day – as sail began to give way to steam. The rudder and propeller are still in place and altogether serve to make this entire section very photogenic indeed. Above the stern a number of original features – such as bollards, winches and railings, can still be identified.

The wooden decking is long-gone revealing a steel ship’s structure held together by iron cross members. These are what gave the ship it’s strength and they have continued to provide that strength underwater for over 110 years. With virtually no chance of becoming lost within the wreck, the Diver is quite able to enter the vessel and explore both internal deck levels with plenty of natural light reaching every corner.

At amidships, there still remains some evidence of the small wheelhouse that was once located below the funnel. The “Bridge” had not yet been designed and many a Captain still preferred to con his vessel from the open decks – from where, at least, they could see. The wheelhouse was only used in the most adverse of conditions. Masts, spars and other items litter the seabed at this point.

Further forward, the vessel is well broken up and there are many separate structures to be found – all the way up to shallow water. The larger sections are home to thousands of Vanikoro Sweepers with all the other usual Reef Fishes is attendance. The entire vessel is well colonised by all the nearby Corals and Soft Corals which have, through their many years of growth, added a whole new – and very beautiful, dimension to this particular shipwreck – and, indeed the Reef.

Until very recently, the Ulysses was still upright – though she has always pointed “up” the Reef. The prevailing currents coupled with the passage of time, however, finally pushed the vessel hard over onto her port side where, she will undoubtedly remain as one of the many truly outstanding Dive Sites of the Egyptian Red Sea for some considerable tome to come.

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