Dahlak Archipelago · Eritrea · Artificial reef · Reef
Nokra
Hulls left when the Soviet Navy abandoned its base in 1991
Area photo: Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center · Public domain
The Soviet Navy ran a base on Nokra from 1977 to 1991, and the deliberate destruction that went with its departure left many wrecks in the water nearby. Those hulls have attracted coral growth and fish life, and they are the whole of the diving here. The island itself is reported to hold political prisoners, so nothing ashore is open to visitors.
Also known as Nakura, Nocra.
Where it is and how deep
15.7108° N, 39.9386° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
Whatever you dive here is a hull. The base was evacuated on 6 February 1991, the whole operation finished inside the day, and the deliberate destruction that went with it left many wrecks in the water nearby. They have since attracted different coral growths and various fish life, which is what draws the rare charter in. None of them carries a published identification, so expect steel and coral rather than a named ship with a story attached.
Getting a boat onto the site is the awkward part rather than the diving itself. Reefs, shoals and rocky banks surround the former base, and a half-submerged Italian hospital ship from the Second World War lies on its side not far from it, so the approach matters more than the profile does. Nothing published gives depths for the hulls and the archipelago's shelf keeps it all shallow, so plan conservatively and let the crew choose the route.
Background
Nokra held a colonial prison camp under the Italians, dismantled in 1941 after British forces occupied the island following the Battle of Keren. From 1977 to 1991 it was a Soviet Navy base servicing nuclear submarines: on 29 September 1985, during maintenance on the K-175, the reactor cores depressurised and 137 people were affected. The base was evacuated on 6 February 1991, the flag coming down at 17:14 the same day, and by 2009 the island and its abandoned base had become an attraction for diving.
Marine life and season
The sources we used don't single out particular species here.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prime | Prime | Good | Fair | Off-season | Off-season | Off-season | Off-season | Off-season | Good | Prime | Prime |
Season follows Dahlak Archipelago: October-April offers bearable heat and settled seas; in summer air tops 40°C, water can pass 32°C, and no boats run.
Know before you go
- Reefs, shoals and rocky banks surround the former base, and a half-submerged Italian hospital ship lies on its side nearby; let the crew pick the anchorage rather than improvising one.
- The island is reported to hold political prisoners, so treat the shore as off-limits, do not land, and dive only where the trip's permit allows.
Questions divers ask
Can you dive at Nokra?+
Only on a permitted charter. The wrecks left by the Soviet withdrawal lie in the water near the former base, but the island is reported to hold political prisoners and nothing ashore is open to visitors, so what you actually dive depends on the permit the operator holds.
Sources
- Nokra Naval Base — Wikipedia
- Nakura — Wikipedia
- Nocra prison camp — Wikipedia
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