Salem Express

What happened

The ship was built in France in the 1960s as a passenger and vehicle ferry, originally named Fred Scamaroni, and was renamed Salem Express after a sale in 1988. She ran between Jeddah in Saudi Arabia and Safaga in Egypt. In mid-December 1991, on the return crossing and with many pilgrims on board, she approached Safaga late at night in a storm. Accounts agree that the route taken was closer to the reefs than the usual approach, and shortly before midnight she struck an outer pinnacle of the Hyndman reefs.

Water flooded in, the ship listed heavily and she sank within about 20 minutes, too quickly and at too steep an angle for most of the lifeboats to be launched. The official death toll was around 470, though published figures vary, passenger records were unreliable and many people believe the true number was higher. About 180 people survived, many of them by reaching the shore. After the recovery of bodies ended, openings into the ship were sealed, and much of the interior is regarded as a sealed grave.

What you see on the wreck

The Salem Express lies on her side on a sandy seabed at around 30 metres, with the shallowest parts of the hull at around 10 to 12 metres. Coral growth is still fairly light, so the ship's shape is easy to read, and the scale of a 115-metre ferry becomes clear as you swim its length. A typical dive follows the exterior:

• The stern, with the two large propellers and the rudder between them
• The upper decks and railings, now standing vertically because the ship lies on her side
• Lifeboats resting on the sand beside the hull
• The funnels, still carrying the company's 'S' emblem
• The bow and its vehicle loading door, central to most accounts of the sinking

Diving it with respect

This is the part of the briefing that matters most. Whatever you may read online, the Salem Express is not a penetration dive, and a responsible guide will keep the group outside the ship. Personal belongings are still visible in and around the wreck, from suitcases to children's things, and they should stay exactly where they are.

The etiquette is simple and should not need saying: no entering the wreck, no touching or moving belongings, no souvenirs of any kind, and no posed or joking photographs. Keep the group quiet and unhurried, and treat the dive as you would a visit to any memorial. Some divers decide not to dive the Salem Express at all, and that is a perfectly reasonable choice. A good crew will always offer an alternative dive on a nearby reef.

Conditions and who it suits

The site is relatively sheltered and the current is usually mild to moderate, which makes the dive technically straightforward. The depth is the main consideration: the deeper parts of the wreck and the lifeboats are close to 30 metres, so Advanced certification and good gas planning are sensible, and nitrox helps if you want more time on the shallower superstructure.

Visibility is usually good, at 20 to 30 metres. Water runs from about 22°C in winter to the high 20s in summer, so a 5 mm suit suits most of the year.

How you actually dive it

The wreck is a short boat ride from Safaga and is dived by day boats from there, and by some liveaboards whose routes pass that stretch of coast. The usual plan is a descent to the stern, a slow swim along the deck side towards the bow, and an ascent along the shallower side of the hull to finish the safety stop near the structure.

Most divers come up quieter than they went down. That is how it should be, and it is the reason to give this dive a place on a Red Sea trip only if you want to approach it in that spirit.

Salem Express: common questions