Carnatic Wreck is the oldest of the four Sha’ab Abu Nuhas wrecks. The former cargo ship was built in 1862-1863 and went under in 1869 while it was transporting wine bottles and £40,000-£60,000 worth of gold. The 90-meter/300-foot-long ship collided with the reef, resulting in it sinking to a depth of 28 meters/92 feet.
The skeleton of the ship is now covered with soft corals and inhabited by creatures like blue-spotted stingrays, sea turtles, giant moray eels, glassfish, batfish, and lionfish.
Inside the bow section, you’ll find the remains of the wine bottles that were part of the ship’s cargo. It is believed that some of the gold is still on the shipwreck.
Carnatic Wreck is recommended for intermediate divers. Visibility is good, reaching up to 30 meters/100 feet. The biggest problem here is the weather, due to the strong winds that sometimes sweep the area and lead to the cancelation of the wreck dives in this region.
