Destinations
Loading...The Salem Express Wreck is very special dive site of the Red Sea. The Salem Express is a former 100m long car and ferry passenger. She was finishing the trip from Jeddah in Saudi Arabia to Safaga full of pilgrims returning from the Mecca when she sunk December 17, 1991 in the middle of the night.
She hit the Hyndman Reef and sunk very rapidly with the offical death toll at 470 passengers but the number expected to be more around 1000. Only 180 of the passengers survived, making it one of the biggest marine tragedies.
Many people don’t want to dive this wreck as they think it is a tomb and the site shouldn’t be disturbed. If you choose to dive the Salem Express Wreck, please be very respectful and do not touch anything. There are still many personal items all over the wreck and they should stay there. Penetration inside the wreck is forbidden as it is declared as a Maritim Tomb. After the tragedy most of the corpses have been taken out of the ship by the Egyptian Navy.
The Salem Express is quite shallow. The wreck starts at 12m and the seabed is at 30m deep. This is a huge wreck and you will need at least 2 dives to explore it all. Even after two decades in the water, there is still little fauna around the wreck. There is also now a bit of coral growing on the shipwreck.
You can dive the Salem Express on a day trip from Hurghada or from Safaga.
You can dive Salem Express all year long. Access: from the Shore. See the map of Salem Express on the right for the exact location.
Fishes you may spot while diving Salem Express
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Boxfish
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Butterfly Fish
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Clownfish
... and more fishes & sea life, Jack
Photos
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Clown fishes waiting in front of their blue anemone housePhoto by Jihye Lee -
BoxfishPhoto by Matthieu Billaud -
Clownfish Anemone NemoPhoto by Jihye Lee -
Black Spotted Yellow BoxfishPhoto by Jihye Lee -
Clownfish At His DoorstepPhoto by Jihye Lee -
Black Spotted Boxfish From TopPhoto by Matthieu Billaud -
Anemone ClownfishPhoto by Matthieu Billaud -
Yellow BoxfishPhoto by Rich Guest -
Anemone House ClownfishesPhoto by Rich Guest -
Yellow Boxfish WaitingPhoto by Rich Guest
Diving Reviews for this region
Liveaboard Reviews in Safaga
Hi . I’m planning a dive holiday to Safaga for myself & non-diving girlfriend primarily to dive Salem Express . Can you recommend a hotel & dive operator in the area ? Would like to able to walk to dive centre & marina . Thanks & regards
Yes, I have been here approx. 12 year ago.
Very sad story, but great.
went there twice… March 2013 and March 2019 during diving holidays in Hurghada. great dive site, and respect is a must for the boat and its guests. Long way from Soma Bay (nearly 2 hours by boat), with choppy sea.. the site deserves a visit and when listening the history of the boat it deeply touches the hearth.
seen the reef the boat hit during night time, and realised how casualties had happened after the accident.
high number of casualties helped to create immediate rescue plans in case of sea accidents in the whole Red Sea area.
dive logs:
12/03/2013 – air, max depth 20.4 m, 34 minutes, 22 C water temperature
21/03/2019 – ean30, max depth 25.5 m, 37 minutes, 22 C water temperature