Aqaba · Jordan · Artificial reef · Wreck
The Tank
A scuttled army tank on sand in 7 m of water
Photo: Strocchi · CC BY-SA 2.0
An M42 Duster anti-aircraft tank scuttled in 1999, sitting on open sand in 5 to 7 m of water a short way off the beach. It was the first artificial reef built for diving in Aqaba, and the plating now carries soft corals and sponges with several moray eels living in the wreckage. Shallow, easy to reach and free of any depth pressure, it doubles as a training and snorkelling site.
Also known as M42 Duster, Tank Aqaba.
Where it is and how deep
29.4191° N, 34.9723° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
The entry is straight off the shore, onto open sand close in to the beach. The tank sits in 5 to 7 m, so the whole dive runs in full light with no depth planning to speak of, which means long bottom times and snorkellers on the surface over the same site. A light surge works across the sand on some days and nudges you gently around the hull.
Circle the tank slowly, because most of what is worth seeing is small. Soft corals and sponges have grown over the plating, several moray eels have made homes in the wreckage, and starfish, shrimps and crabs work the sand around it. Schools of colourful reef fish sit above the hull with damsels and blennies in close, and lionfish hold station in the shaded corners. It makes an obvious second dive of the day or a first open-water training dive.
The wreck
- Vessel
- M42 Duster
- Type
- Anti-aircraft tank
- Sunk
- 1999
- Cause
- Cleaned and scuttled by the Royal Marine Conservation Society of Jordan as an artificial reef
- Lies
- On a sandy bottom in 5 to 7 m of water, close in to the shore
In 1999 the Royal Marine Conservation Society of Jordan created the first artificial reef built for diving in Aqaba, sinking an M42 Duster anti-aircraft tank that had served in the Jordanian army. The military cleaned the vehicle of anything harmful before it went down, and the sinking was carried out by King Abdullah. In 2019 the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority sank a formation of military vehicles nearby as an underwater museum, but the tank was the one that started it.
Marine life and season
- Reef fish swarms
- Macro critters
| 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
- A light surge runs across the shallow sand. Keep off the coral-covered plating and watch buoyancy in the last few metres.
Photos from The Tank
Juhele_CZ · CC0
Dive videos
Dive in Aqaba : The Tank wreck · Scubadized on YouTube
Questions divers ask
How deep is the Tank dive in Aqaba?+
The M42 Duster sits on sand in 5 to 7 metres of water, shallow enough for a training dive, a long relaxed second dive of the day, or a snorkel from the beach.
Is the Tank good for beginners?+
Yes. It is one of the easiest sites on the coast: a shore entry, no significant depth and only a light surge to deal with, which is why centres use it for training and for novice divers.
Sources
- The Tank - Dive Site in Aqaba, Jordan — Arab Divers
- The Tank dive site — PADI
- Marine Manoeuvres - Aqaba's underwater military museum — DIVE Magazine
- Best Dive Sites in Aqaba, Red Sea - Site Maps — Aqaba Adventure Divers
Photo credits
- Diver with fins hovering beside a submerged military tank resting on the seabed by Strocchi, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Openverse
- Close-up of coral-encrusted tank turret and wheel hub covered in soft and hard coral growth by Juhele_CZ, CC0, via Openverse
In The Logbook
- Ships sunk on purpose, and where to dive themWrecks · 14 min read
More dive sites in Aqaba
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An air pocket in the rear cargo hold big enough to surface in
Reef
Black coral below 20 m on a slope you walk into from the beach
A gorgonian forest at 21 m and fusiliers packing the shallows
Wall
A sheer wall falling from 12 m into 200 m of water
Reef
An easily navigated reef that comes alive after dark
Tanks, troop carriers and a sunken TriStar airliner
Similar dives elsewhere
A closed 1995 underwater restaurant on a shallow reef
A sunken mooring buoy wrapped in soft corals and circled by fusiliers
Coral-encrusted pillars off a beach opened in 2017
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