The Salem Express is arguably one of the most controversial wreck dives in the Red Sea due to the tragic loss of life which occurred in December 1991 when she sank just an hour away from its final destination, the Safaga Port.
What is the Salem Express?
Originally built in the French shipyards of La Seyne in 1964 and known by several different names during the course of its life, the Salem Express was a 100 meter (300 feet) long roll-on roll-off ferry with a bow that could be raised forward and upward to allow for embarkation and disembarkation of vehicles and passengers directly from her nose ramps.
The Sinking of the Salem Express
Based out of the Port of Safaga in Egypt, on the night of December 1991, it was returning from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia reportedly overloaded with pilgrims returning from their holy-Hajj-pilgrimage in Mecca. The captain, who was well experienced in the water of this region, chose an unauthorized shortcut between the mainland and the shallow Hyndman Reefs to reduce the journey time by an estimated two hours.
Unfortunately on this occasion, there was an unexpected storm with gale force winds which caused the bow of the ship to strike with astonishing force against the Hyndman Reefs, ripping apart its side and causing the ship’s hull to rapidly flood with water. The ship reportedly sank within 10-20 minutes of striking the reef preventing an orderly evacuation using the lifeboats, resulting in the deaths of over 470 passengers, with only 180 survivors.
Diving the Salem Express Wreck
Owing to the tragic loss of lives in the incident there is much controversy as to whether the wreck should be open to scuba divers or not. The ship itself is resting at a depth of 12 to 30 meters (39 to 100 feet) on its starboard side with its bow doors wide open. On descending, the port side of the ship is merely 12 meters below the surface and is surprisingly intact. The lifeboats with the distinct “S” emblem are indications that they passengers didn’t even get the chance to lower them.
Diving the wreck is perhaps one of the eeriest experiences as claimed by most divers, due to the tragic history, the wreck itself littered with debris such as luggage, personal belongings and furniture, and the fact that despite being underwater for over a decade, the wreck is barely covered in coral. It’s almost as if the reef out of respect for the dead hasn’t colonized it as yet. Egyptian Naval Divers have ensured that all the bodies of the victims have been removed from the wreck, so the possibility of spotting or bumping into any remains of a corpse is remote.
Wreck penetration is possible but not recommended for beginners or intermediate divers, as the structure is weak and several passageways make it rather disorienting to navigate. The corridors are accessible from a hatch in the port side, but there is absolutely no natural light inside, and your buoyancy must be perfect to navigate the corridor. Certain sections like the bridge, the restaurant and upper decks are fairly easy to access and make interesting areas to explore. The twin propeller blades and the smoke stacks are other external attractions of the Salem Express.
