SS Dunraven: Beacon Rock · Strait of Gubal Dive Site

WreckAdvanced

SS Dunraven

Beacon Rock · Strait of Gubal

5–40m+

Depth Range

30m+

Visibility

–

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Overview

SS Dunraven

The SS Dunraven was a British steamship that struck Beacon Rock in the Strait of Gubal in 1876 and sank on the reef slope. She was carrying cotton and wool from India when she hit, a routine cargo run that ended on the reef. She is 82 metres long and lies inverted, upside down, on the reef, with the keel shallow enough to see from the surface and the deepest sections of the hull reaching 28m. The wreck was rediscovered by scuba divers in 1978, more than a century after she sank.

The inversion is what makes the Dunraven unusual. You are not swimming through a wreck, you are swimming along the underside of a hull that has become a reef. Every surface is covered: soft corals, sponges, hydroids, gorgonian fans growing down from what was once the deck. The structure has had 150 years to become part of the reef and it shows. Glassfish pack the cavities between hull sections in dense silver clouds. Lionfish and moray eels work the gaps. For macro photography, nudibranchs, flatworms, Spanish dancers on night dives, this is one of the best wreck dives in the northern Red Sea.

The Dunraven is an intermediate site. There is no demanding current, the depth is manageable, and the wreck is accessible without advanced penetration skills. It is regularly combined with the Thistlegorm on the same day trip or liveaboard itinerary, the two wrecks are close enough to dive on the same day. The contrast could not be greater: where the Thistlegorm is about cargo and history, the Dunraven is about what happens when a wreck becomes part of the reef over a century and a half.

Dive Profiles

★ Atlas Pick

SS Dunraven

Hull Circuit, Main Dive

8–20m

Depth

Mild

Current

Start at the keel, shallow, and work along the inverted hull from bow to stern at whatever depth the coral draws you. The structure is densely covered, slow down and look at what is growing on it. The cavities in the hull hold glassfish; torch in, wait, and let your eyes adjust. Lionfish and morays are in every gap. This is not a dive you rush. Work the hull, turn around, and come back along the other side before ascending.

SS Dunraven

Deep Section, Boiler & Stern

18–28m

Depth

Mild

Current

Drop to the deeper sections of the hull at 18–28m where the boiler and engine structure are visible. The coral coverage thins slightly at depth but the structure is more dramatic. Manage your bottom time at the deeper end and work back shallower along the hull before your safety stop. Good option for a second dive after a shallower hull circuit.

SS Dunraven

Night Dive, Macro

8–20m

Depth

Mild

Current

The Dunraven at night is a different site entirely. Spanish dancers emerge on the hull, one of the most sought-after Red Sea sightings and reliably found here after dark. Nudibranchs, flatworms and octopus are active across the coral surface. The glassfish in the cavities are still there, now lit only by torch. Slow, close, macro-focused. One of the best night dives in the northern Red Sea.

Inside the Wreck

The wreck

The Hull, Inverted

Victorian steamship · 1876 · Lost 1876

8–28m

Depth

82m

Length

Heavily encrusted · intact

Condition

The Dunraven lies completely inverted, upside down on the reef slope. The keel faces upward at 8m and the hull sides slope down to 28m. Every surface is covered in 150 years of coral growth: soft corals, sponges, sea fans and hydroids have completely colonised the structure. The wreck is recognisable as a ship only in shape. Swimming along it is less like diving a wreck and more like diving a reef that happens to be hull-shaped.

–Inverted hull, keel at 8m, sides to 28m
–150 years of coral growth on all surfaces
–Glassfish in hull cavities
–Lionfish and morays throughout
–Macro: nudibranchs, flatworms, Spanish dancers on night dives

Boiler & Engine Room

Stern · deep section · Lost 1876

18–28m

Depth

Deepest section of the wreck

Length

Intact · encrusted

Condition

The boiler and engine structure are visible in the deeper stern section at 18–28m. The machinery is still recognisable beneath the coral growth, cylinders, pistons, the boiler casing. Less visited than the shallower hull sections, which means the marine life here is less habituated to divers. Good option for a second dive after a hull circuit, or for divers who want to see the mechanical structure rather than just the coral.

–Original boiler visible at depth
–Engine structure beneath coral growth
–Less visited than the shallow hull
–Best combined as a second dive
–Maximum depth 28m, manage bottom time

Key Stats

The numbers

8–28m

Depth Range

15–20m

Visibility

23–27°c

Water Temp

Mild

Current

Yearround

Season

Intermediate

Skill Level

Safety & Skills

What you need to know

Penetration

Gaps in the hull allow entry into the wreck interior. This is not a formal penetration dive but treat it as one, torch required, know your exit, never go further than you can see your way back. The silt inside is fine and stirs easily.

Boat traffic

The Strait of Gubal is a busy shipping lane and dive area. Deploy DSMB before ascending. Always ascend near the boat line, not in open water.

Current

Generally mild at the Dunraven site. Conditions are calmer than the open sea wrecks. Rarely prevents diving.

Depth

Maximum 28m at the deepest hull sections. The keel is at 8m, most of the interesting structure between 10 and 20m. A genuinely accessible intermediate site.

Visibility

Typically 15–20m in normal conditions. The Strait of Gubal can reduce visibility in plankton season, but the wreck structure is always clear enough to navigate.

Marine life

Harmless reef species throughout. Moray eels in the gaps, lionfish on the coral, glassfish in the cavities. Standard Red Sea wreck briefing applies, no touching, no disturbing.

✅

Minimum: Open WaterThe main hull circuit is accessible to confident open water divers. The deeper sections (20–28m) require Advanced Open Water. A genuinely intermediate-friendly site.

✅

Torch recommendedNot mandatory for the hull exterior but essential if entering any cavity or gap in the hull. The interior is dark and the silt fine.

✅

Buoyancy controlThe coral growth on the hull is dense and irreplaceable. Getting close for macro requires good buoyancy, contact breaks 150 years of growth in an instant.

⚠️

DSMB recommendedBoat traffic in the Strait of Gubal. Not mandatory but strongly advised. Every diver should be able to deploy independently.

How to Get There