A 1960s cargo ship, gutted by fire at anchor in Aqaba and scuttled in 1985, lying on her port side across two reefs about 130 m off the beach. The hull runs from a starboard rail at 10 m down to sand at 27 m, and hard and soft corals have taken over the plating. Divers reach it either on a surface swim from the beach or by boat to the mooring buoy on her stern.
Also known as Cedar Pride, Cedar Pride Shipwreck.
Where it is and how deep
29.4310° N, 34.9738° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
Dives start either from the beach with a 130 m surface swim over sand, or from a boat tied to the permanent mooring buoy on the stern. Drop down the line and the shape of the ship resolves below you: sand at 27 m under the keel, the starboard rail up at about 10 m, and the hull bridging two separate reefs that hold the bow and the stern clear of the bottom.
Work along the bottom of the wreck first, come around under the bow, then back along the keel to the swim-through. The rear cargo hold holds an air pocket big enough for divers to surface in and take a quick look around before dropping back out. Anything past the open, obvious sections is a genuine overhead: penetration here needs wreck or technical training and the gear to go with it.
The shallow end carries the rest of the dive. Soft corals and large sea fans wave off the plating on the raised starboard side, and the fish stack up around the structure: lionfish and angelfish, large snappers, a school of double-bar bream and barracuda holding off the edge. Seahorses turn up here too, though they take looking for. Finish along the rail at 10 m and swim back in on the surface.
The wreck
- Vessel
- Cedar Pride
- Type
- Cargo freighter
- Built
- 1964
- Sunk
- 1985
- Cause
- Scuttled as an artificial reef after a 1982 engine-room fire left her a total loss
- Lies
- On her port side at 27 m, spanning two reefs that support the bow and the stern
Cedar Pride was built in Spain in 1964 and arrived at the Jordanian port of Aqaba in July 1982. On 2 August, at anchor and in ballast, a fire spread rapidly through the engine room and accommodation and two of the crew were killed. The King of Jordan, a keen diver, took an interest in the hulk and backed a plan to sink her in the hope she would become part of the reef. Cleaned of oil and anything that could harm marine life, she was scuttled on 16 November 1985.
Marine life and season
- Barracuda
- Reef fish swarms
- Pristine corals
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Fair |
Season follows Aqaba: Conditions stay calm and diveable year-round; water is coolest January–March.
Know before you go
- Below the open decks the hull is a true overhead environment; the holds and passageways need wreck or technical training rather than curiosity.
- The deepest point is 27 to 28 m, deep enough that a full lap of the wreck eats no-decompression time. Plan the deep leg first and finish shallow on the starboard side.
Dive videos
Diving the Wreck of the Cedar Pride, Aqaba, Jordan · AG Dive on YouTube
Cedar Pride Shipwreck, Aqaba, Jordan, 2022. · Marinko Sanjković on YouTube
Questions divers ask
How deep is the Cedar Pride wreck?+
She lies on her port side across two reefs, with the raised starboard rail at about 10 m and the deepest point on the sand at 27 to 28 m. A normal recreational dive works the 10 to 27 m range, deep leg first.
Can you dive the Cedar Pride from shore?+
Yes. The wreck sits about 130 m off the beach and the swim out is over a sandy bottom. A permanent mooring buoy maintained by the Aqaba Marine Park is fixed to the stern and doubles as a descent line.
Sources
- An introduction to the wreck dives of Aqaba — DIVE Magazine
- Cedar Pride Shipwreck - Dive Site in Aqaba, Jordan — Arab Divers
- Cedar Pride dive site — PADI
- Cedar Pride Wreck Dive Site - Site Map — Aqaba Adventure Divers
Photo credits
- Sunken ship's mast and rigging encrusted with coral, underwater in clear blue water near Aqaba by el ui, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
In The Logbook
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