Brothers & Daedalus · Egypt · Wreck · Wall
Aida Wreck
Intact superstructure on a hull that stands almost vertical
Area photo: W.Strickling · CC BY-SA 4.0
The Aida II was an Italian ship delivering goods and lighthouse staff to the coast guard station on Big Brother Island when a September 1957 storm drove it onto the rocks. What is left of the 75-metre hull lies at an extremely steep angle off the island's north-western tip, starting at 15 m and stretching past 45 m, with much of the superstructure intact.
Also known as Aida II.
Where it is and how deep
26.3155° N, 34.8420° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The Aida is dived as a wall dive off the north-western tip of Big Brother, where the ship was smashed onto the island. You pick the hull up at about 15 m, and most of the bow burst apart in the collision and in the decades of weather since. From there the ship falls away below you at an extremely steep angle rather than lying on anything resembling a seabed.
Much of the superstructure is still intact, and the openings hold huge schools of glassfish that part and reform as divers pass. Working down the hull, the stern is the deeper end and provides habitat for large groupers. The structure stretches below 45 m and the deepest parts of the wreck reach 65 m, so recreational groups stay high on the ship and turn well before that.
Current at Big Brother runs strong and more or less constantly, so this is usually a one-way pass with the boat collecting divers in open water at the end rather than a there-and-back on a fixed line. The shallow plateau above, at around 10 m, is where the safety stop gets spent, and night diving is prohibited at the island.
The wreck
- Vessel
- Aida II
- Type
- Troop and supply ship
- Length
- 75 m (246 ft)
- Sunk
- 1957
- Cause
- Driven onto the island's rocks by wind and waves while approaching the jetty
- Lies
- At an extremely steep angle off Big Brother's north-western tip, from 15 m to below 45 m
In September 1957 the Aida II was about to deliver goods and lighthouse staff to the coast guard station on Big Brother Island. Strong wind and high waves smashed the 75-metre Italian ship into the rocks of the island as it approached the jetty, and it drifted in the storm towards the north-western tip, where it sank. Most of the bow burst apart, in the collision and in the weather since.
Marine life and season
- Reef fish swarms
- Groupers
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Good | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Good | Good |
Season follows Brothers & Daedalus: Boats run the offshore route from March to December; schooling hammerheads peak at Daedalus from June to August.
Know before you go
- The hull hangs almost vertically, so depth builds quickly if you simply follow the structure down; set a turn depth on the surface and hold to it.
- Current at Big Brother runs strong and constantly and the site is fully exposed to wind and waves, which makes the surface pickup the crux of the dive.
Dive videos
Brothers Wrecks (Aida and Numida) · Red Sea Explorers on YouTube
Big Brother Reef Dive - Aida Wreck Red Sea · ScotsGraeme2006 on YouTube
Questions divers ask
How deep is the Aida wreck?+
The wreck starts at 15 m and stretches to below 45 m, with the deepest parts of the hull at around 65 m. Recreational divers work the shallower bow and midships section and turn before the deeper stern.
Can beginners dive the Aida?+
No. The wreck sits on an exposed wall at Big Brother where current runs strong and constantly, access is liveaboard only, and the ship hangs at an extremely steep angle from 15 m down past 45 m.
Sources
- Aida II Wreck on Big Brother, Red Sea — Scuba Travel
- Aida II Wreck — GoodDive.com
- Big Brother – Red Sea Diving Marine Park Dive Sites — Red Sea Diving Marine Park
In The Logbook
- Deep wreck diving: where recreational stopsWrecks · 8 min read
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Sheer wall, constant current and two ships draped down the same rock
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