Salem Express Wreck

The Salem Express was an Egyptian passenger ferry that sank in December 1991 after striking a reef near Hyndman Reef, off Safaga in the Egyptian Red Sea, with heavy loss of life. The wreck lies on its starboard side, largely intact, with a maximum depth of around 31 metres, and is rated an advanced dive. Divers commonly encounter grouper here, with barracuda, jacks or amberjack, lionfish, and surgeonfish also reported. It is treated as a maritime grave, with human remains reported still present in parts of the wreck, and divers should be mindful of overhead sections inside the hull as well as currents that can run strong. Given its history as a disaster site rather than a wartime loss, it is dived with particular care and respect, and the penetration opportunities into the car deck and passenger areas are best approached only by those with wreck experience.

Confirmed by our research team, reported by independent divers, or observed nearby via iNaturalist — each entry is labelled with its source.

• Jack / amberjackJack / amberjackReported here · unconfirmed
• Rusty ParrotfishScarus ferrugineusReported here · unconfirmed
• Indo-Pacific Bottlenose DolphinTursiops aduncusReported here · unconfirmed
• GrouperGrouperConfirmed present · 2 independent sources
• SurgeonfishSurgeonfishReported here · unconfirmed
• LionfishLionfishReported here · unconfirmed
• BarracudaBarracudaReported here · unconfirmed
• Red Sea AnemonefishAmphiprion bicinctusObserved near here · iNaturalist
• Red Sea BannerfishHeniochus intermediusObserved near here · iNaturalist
• Masked PufferArothron diadematusObserved near here · iNaturalist
• Indian LionfishPterois milesObserved near here · iNaturalist