The El Mina is not the prettiest wreck in the Red Sea, and it's not the most famous. But it's a real warship sunk in real combat, sitting twenty minutes from Hurghada Marina at depths that any AOW diver can manage. For most divers visiting Hurghada, this is their first proper deep wreck dive — and it's a memorable one.
The history — how she sank
The El Mina (sometimes written El Minya) was a T43-class minesweeper, built in the Soviet Union and transferred to the Egyptian Navy in the 1950s during President Nasser's military partnership with the USSR. The icebreaker-style bow makes her Soviet origins obvious to anyone who looks closely — these ships were designed for cold northern seas, not the Red Sea.
She was sunk in 1970 during the War of Attrition — the period of low-intensity but persistent military conflict between Egypt and Israel that followed the 1967 Six-Day War. Israeli aircraft attacked Egyptian naval assets in Hurghada harbour; the El Mina was struck, her crew evacuated, and she went down with no casualties. The blast hole on her starboard bow side is the visible scar of that strike.
Some sources state 1969 rather than 1970 for the sinking; the exact date is debated. What's not debated is that she rests today as a tangible piece of modern Middle Eastern history — a real warship, sunk in real conflict, now home to glassfish and lionfish.
The site at a glance
The El Mina lies on her port side on a rocky-sandy seabed, oriented northwest-southeast. The shallowest point of the hull (now the starboard side, facing up) sits at 25 metres; the stern reaches 32 metres. The wreck is largely intact — bridge, anti-aircraft gun mounts, propellers, the explosion hole — all visible without entering the wreck.
Visibility caveat: El Mina visibility is consistently lower than offshore Hurghada reefs. Expect 10-20 metres rather than the 30-40m you'd get at Police Station or Carless. The proximity to the harbour, the sandy/rocky bottom, and the boat traffic all stir up sediment. This isn't a flaw — it's the nature of the site. Bring a strong dive light if you have one.
Currents: usually mild but can pick up from the north. The wreck offers natural shelter — if current builds, your guide will direct the group to the lee side. El Mina is in fact a popular bad-weather alternative when offshore sites are blown out.
The dive plan — bow to stern
The standard Aquarius dive plan starts at the deepest point and works shallower as gas is consumed. Total dive time is typically 30-40 minutes given the depth.
The descent
Most operators (including us) tie a permanent buoy line to the stern. Divers giant-stride from the boat, swim to the buoy, and descend hand-over-hand down the line. This is the safest approach in current and avoids any risk of overshooting the wreck onto the deeper sand. The line emerges from the blue and the silhouette of the ship materialises around 15-20 metres — one of the more dramatic descents in Hurghada diving.
The stern (32m)
You'll arrive at the deepest section. The two propellers and rudder are intact and clearly visible — a great photo subject given the scale of the ship. Anti-aircraft gun mounts are still in position on the aft deck, sheared off but recognisable as weapons. Take a moment here to take in the size of the vessel before working forward.
Mid-ship and the bridge (28m)
Moving along the uppermost (now starboard) side of the hull, you reach the bridge superstructure. The bridge itself is fairly intact and visible from outside — there's no need to penetrate. Glassfish swarm in the protected spaces, with lionfish and jackfish hunting them in slow patient passes.
The blast hole and bow (25m)
The most evocative section of the dive. The bomb damage on the starboard bow is dramatic — twisted metal, jagged edges, a clear cause of death visible decades later. This is the only area suitable for a quick recreational penetration: peek inside through the blast hole, see the shelter the glassfish use, but don't venture deeper into the ship without proper wreck training.
The forward deck holds the base of a sheared-off cannon. The anchor flukes on the seabed nearby are worth a look — black urchins and cleaner shrimps cluster among the spines.
The ascent
Return to the buoy line at the stern (or a separate ascent line if your guide has placed one). Three-minute safety stop at 5 metres. Surface, signal the boat, climb back aboard.
Marine life on the wreck
El Mina is not heavily encrusted with coral — the depth, the relatively recent sinking (50+ years), and the sediment all conspire to keep coral growth modest. But the wreck has become a thriving artificial reef in its own way, attracting fish that prefer structure to open reef.
Glassfish: Massive schools shelter inside the bridge, the blast hole, and the bow superstructure. The way the school parts and reforms around divers is the signature visual of any El Mina dive.
Lionfish: The wreck's lionfish population is unusually dense — they hunt the glassfish methodically, hovering at school edges and snapping individuals out one at a time. Photographers love the resulting shots.
Scorpionfish and stonefish: Camouflaged on the hull and surrounding rocks. Look without touching — and watch where you put your hands. Stonefish stings are genuinely dangerous and require immediate medical attention.
Nudibranchs: Slow-moving but consistent finds. The Spanish dancer (Hexabranchus sanguineus) appears on night dives at El Mina, though night-diving permission for the site is irregular.
Bannerfish, fusiliers, and unicornfish patrol the surrounding open water. Occasional moray eels in the wreckage. Live ammunition shells lie on the seabed — interesting to see, but absolutely do not touch or attempt to move anything that looks like military hardware.
Pairing with the Hassabella
Most Aquarius El Mina trips include a second dive, either at El Mina again or at the nearby Hassabella wreck — a smaller sunken fishing trawler about a five-minute swim from the El Mina. Experienced divers with good air consumption can sometimes link the two on a single dive if conditions allow.
The Hassabella is at a slightly shallower 22-28m, less imposing than the El Mina, but offers different fish life and a less photographed subject. For wreck-focused divers, doing both in a day is a worthwhile use of a Hurghada visit.
El Mina vs Thistlegorm — which should you dive?
If you're a wreck-focused diver visiting Hurghada and you have to choose between the El Mina and a long day-trip to the Thistlegorm, here's the honest comparison:
| El Mina | Thistlegorm | |
|---|---|---|
| Length | ~70 m | 126 m |
| Depth | 25-32 m | 16-32 m |
| Boat time | 20 min | 3-4 hrs each way |
| Cargo | Military equipment, AA guns | WWII trucks, motorbikes, locomotives, rifles |
| Visibility | 10-20 m | 15-25 m |
| Penetration scope | Limited (blast hole only) | Multiple cargo holds (recreational) |
| Time on site | 30-40 min total | 2 dives, full day |
| Cost | Standard wreck dive price | ~3x standard daily price |
Honest answer: if it's your only chance, the Thistlegorm is the more famous and photogenic dive. Its cargo holds are unique on Earth. But if you've already dived the Thistlegorm, or if you only have a half-day, El Mina is a genuinely good wreck dive that deserves its place in your log book. Think of it as Hurghada's local wreck — not the headline act, but a real dive worth taking seriously.
Common mistakes
- Booking El Mina with a non-AOW diver in your group. The wreck's depth is non-negotiable. Operators that take Open Water divers to El Mina are cutting corners — find a different operator.
- Underestimating the gas plan. 30+ metres burns air faster than reef diving. Stick to your gas plan. Watch your SPG. Save air for the buoy-line ascent.
- Touching anything that looks like ordnance. Live shells genuinely rest on the seabed around the wreck. They're highly unstable after 55 years underwater. Look, photograph, leave alone.
- Trying to penetrate beyond the blast hole. The interior is a mess of cables, jagged metal, and silt. Recreational penetration is the blast hole only. Beyond that you need wreck training, redundant gas, and a line.
- Skipping the historical briefing. El Mina without context is a rusty hull. With context, it's a tangible piece of Middle Eastern conflict history. Insist your guide tells you the story before the dive.
- Bringing a wide-angle lens but no light. El Mina's visibility and depth conspire to make ambient light insufficient. A dive light or strobe transforms photos.
How to book
Aquarius Hurghada runs daily El Mina wreck dives from our Marina base. Standard package: two dives (El Mina + Hassabella OR a separate reef site), guide, tanks, weights, soft drinks, and lunch on board. Equipment rental available for divers without their own.
Requirements: Advanced Open Water certification or equivalent (SSI, BSAC, CMAS** etc.), dive logbook showing at least one dive in the past 12 months. If your last dive was longer ago, we'll set up a refresher dive at our house reef before scheduling the El Mina. Honest safety, not bureaucracy — wreck diving rewards preparation.