Chrisoula K

Divers call her the Tile Wreck, and the name explains the cargo better than any manifest: hold after hold of Italian floor tiles, still stacked in neat, fused columns. Built in Lübeck, Germany, in 1954 and later sold into Greek ownership as Chrisoula K, she was carrying the tiles from Italy toward Jeddah when, on 31 August 1981, she ran hard onto the northeast corner of Sha'ab Abu Nuhas. The impact wrecked her bow against the reef crest; the rest of the hull flooded and settled down the slope. Every crew member was rescued. Guidebooks have long argued over identity at this crowded reef corner — a sister casualty, the Marcus, also went down nearby with tiles aboard — but the wreck dived today as Chrisoula K rewards the visit regardless: an engine room full of gauges and catwalks, a proud stern, and that improbable ceramic cargo.

How she sank: Struck Sha'ab Abu Nuhas at full speed, 31 August 1981.

Condition: Stern and midships hold together well; the bow is flattened wreckage in the shallows. Some published accounts debate which Abu Nuhas casualty this hull truly is.

Penetration: Full With Training. The multi-level engine room and tile holds are genuine overhead environments; trained wreck divers only, ideally with a guide who knows the exits. Entering any overhead environment requires specific training — a wreck certification at minimum, technical wreck training for full penetration.

Recommended certification: Advanced Open Water

Current: Mild · Visibility: 10–25 m

Marine life: Groupers and lionfish patrol the tile stacks, fusiliers stream over the deck, and hard corals have claimed the mast and railings.

Hazards: Silt and confined spaces in the engine room; surge near the reef top; sharp collapsed plating forward.

The tiles belong to the wreck — removal is prohibited.