Kingston

Good to know

Best season

Year-round. Water 22-29 C; calmest seas and best visibility March-November, with the coolest water and strongest northerlies December-February.

Protected status

Egyptian Red Sea marine protected area; HEPCA-maintained mooring buoys, anchoring prohibited

Fees

No separate site fee published; environmental tax historically 3.5 LE/diver/day (Red Sea Governorate, 2001), collection suspended after January 2011 per HEPCA.

Wreck

ship_type: Iron screw steamer with brigantine rig (collier); builder: Oswald Shipbuilding, Pallion, Sunderland, England; year_built: Launched 16 February 1871; length_m: 78.0; beam_m: 10.0; tonnage: 1,436-1,448 GRT; date_sunk: 17 February 1881; cause: Struck the south-west corner of Shag Rock after her foresail was set; repeated refloating attempts failed and after part of the cargo was jettisoned she slipped off the reef and sank.; cargo: 1,210 tonnes of Cardiff coal (60-70 tonnes jettisoned during the salvage attempt); orientation: Completely upright against the reef, bow shallow. Bow about 5-10 m, stern about 17-20 m.; wreck_depth_m: 4-20; penetration: Yes and easy - the wooden decks have gone leaving an open iron skeleton of ribs and frames with ambient light throughout.