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Safaga, Soma Bay, El Quseir & the BrothersAdvancedwreck

SS Aida II

Also known as Aida; Aida II; Aida wreck

An Egyptian navy supply vessel lying bow-up on the steep west wall, roughly 100 m from the Numidia. The two wrecks are usually dived on…

No detailed dive map yet

A close-up reef map of SS Aida II will appear here when available.

An Egyptian navy supply vessel lying bow-up on the steep west wall, roughly 100 m from the Numidia. The two wrecks are usually dived on consecutive dives. Depth 7–60 m; liveaboard only; Strong; the wreck is on the exposed west flank and is normally taken as a drift, dropping shallow and working down the hull. current; visibility 20-30 m. Italian-built supply and troop-transport vessel of about 1,428 tons and roughly 75 m long, latterly used to supply the Brothers lighthouse garrison. Wrecked on 15 September 1957 after being driven onto the rocky shore of Big Brother in heavy seas while landing relief lighthouse staff. Within the…

Highlights

  • An Egyptian navy supply vessel lying bow-up on the steep west wall, roughly 100 m from the Numidia. The two wrecks are usually dived on consecutive dives.

Marine life

  • heavy soft coral growth over the hull
  • glassfish
  • grouper
  • grey reef shark
  • Napoleon wrasse

Good to know

Best season
March-November liveaboard season.
Protected status
Within the Egyptian Red Sea Protectorates offshore-islands regime, administered by the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency with the Chamber of Diving and Watersports (CDWS). Closed to dive boats for roughly 3.5 months over the winter of 2018-19 after four non-fatal oceanic whitetip bites; reopened 29 March 2019 under CDWS rules that remain the governing regime: no overnight mooring at the islands, diving permitted only 06:00-16:00 after which all boats must leave, a daily cap of 18 vessels (12 at Big Brother, 6 at Small Brother), a CDWS coordination record required before the coast guard will issue a sailing permit, and a ban on discharging organic waste within 5 nautical miles. Night diving prohibited; SMB mandatory. Operators and guides required to complete shark-awareness training.
Fees
Government reef / marine-park tax payable in cash on board, in USD or EUR. Master Liveaboards quotes USD 90 per person for a 7-night Brothers/Daedalus/Elphinstone itinerary; Red Sea Aggressor IV lists USD 105 marine park + USD 45 port = USD 150 per person for the same itinerary. Amount is set by government decree and changes.
Wreck
Italian-built supply and troop-transport vessel of about 1,428 tons and roughly 75 m long, latterly used to supply the Brothers lighthouse garrison. Wrecked on 15 September 1957 after being driven onto the rocky shore of Big Brother in heavy seas while landing relief lighthouse staff. She broke up: the stern section slid down the wall and now lies with the bow around 30 m and the stern past 60 m, with engine wreckage marking the shallows at about 7 m. Depth range quoted by operators is 15-45 m for the main body of the dive and 28-60 m for the intact stern.

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