Kish Island · Iran · Wreck
Greek Ship
The propeller of a 1943 steamship at 8 m
Photo: Persia2099 · CC BY-SA 3.0
The Greek Ship is the cargo steamship Koula F, beached on the southwest coast of Kish Island since 1966 and one of the island's famous attractions. The water around the hull is shallow and reached from a seaside park, and the site is one of the best on Kish for beginners.
Also known as Koula F, Khoula F, Empire Trumpet.
Where it is and how deep
26.5261° N, 53.9081° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
Divers enter by the steps built into the seaside park in front of the ship, or through the opening in the northern side of the hull. Most of the site lies in 4 to 5 m of water around the beached ship, and at 8 m the propeller and other parts of the ship's equipment lie on the bottom.
The wreck
- Vessel
- Koula F (ex Empire Trumpet)
- Type
- Cargo steamship
- Length
- 131.9 m (433 ft)
- Built
- 1943
- Sunk
- 1966
- Cause
- Ran aground and was declared a total loss
- Lies
- Beached on the southwest coast of Kish Island
The ship was built in 1943 by William Hamilton and Company in Port Glasgow, Scotland, as Empire Trumpet, a cargo steamship 131.9 m (432.7 ft) long. On 25 July 1966, sailing as Koula F, she ran aground on the south-western coast of Kish Island. The insurers declared her a total loss and she has stayed beached there ever since; the stern has now started to break up.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Fair | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Fair | Fair | Fair | Good |
Season follows Kish Island: Clear, sunny spring and summer are best; stormy autumn and late-winter seas stop the diving on rough days.
Know before you go
- The ship's condition has deteriorated and the stern has started to break up.
Questions divers ask
Can the Greek Ship on Kish Island be dived from shore?+
Yes. Steps in the seaside park in front of the ship lead into the water, and the shallow site around the hull suits beginners.
Sources
- Scuba Diving - Kish Free Zone Organization Tourism — Kish Free Zone Organization
- Diving in Iran for tourists — Legendary Iran
- Greek Ship — Wikipedia
Photo credits
- The rusting hull of a beached cargo ship with two masts and a funnel sits in shallow water under a pale sky by Persia2099, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
More dive sites in Kish Island
Coral garden
A shore entry from Simorgh Hotel beach onto the east-coast reefs
Wreck
A way in through the captain's cabin window
Cave & cavern
A short cave to swim through at the entrance
Reef
Shallow east-coast reef, a boat ride from the Kish dive clubs
Reef
Blacktip and nurse sharks in a gap in the reef
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