SS Dunraven
Depth is the range from the top of the site to its usual maximum; "recommended cert" is the mainstream-agency level operators usually ask for, not a legal rule. Currents and visibility change daily — treat everything here as planning ranges.
Upside down against the southern end of Sha'ab Mahmoud lies a steam-and-sail freighter that struck Beacon Rock in 1876 on the run home from Bombay with cotton and wool. The Dunraven's inverted hull broke into sections as it settled, and the openings between them turn the interior into a bright, easy swim-through where sweepers pour around the boilers and iron ribs. Depth runs from about 15 meters at the bow to just under 30 at the propeller and rudder, which stand photogenically against the sand. Relocated by divers in the late 1970s, she makes a gentle companion piece to the Thistlegorm, with anemones and their fish crowding the reef top above the mooring.
The moment you come for: Swim-through hull sections full of glassfish; propeller and rudder on the sand; anemone gardens on Beacon Rock.
Topography: Inverted iron hull in sections on sand at the base of the reef
Entry: Moorings sit on the reef at Beacon Rock, southern Sha'ab Mahmoud; often paired with Thistlegorm itineraries.
Know before you splash
Hazards: Mild surge near the reef; overhead sections require basic wreck awareness and a light.
Nitrox: Worth it here — profiles sit in the range where enriched air meaningfully extends no-stop time (with the training to use it).
Who you'll meet
Blue-Spotted Ribbontail Ray
Clownfish & Anemonefish
Giant Moray Eel
Lionfish
Porcupinefish
For photographers
Wide angle: ★★★★☆ · Macro: ★★★☆☆ — editors' 1–5 rating of what this site gives each style of shooting