El Mina Wreck

The El Mina wreck, also known as the Minya, is a Russian-made T-43 minesweeper that was built between 1947 and 1957 for harbor protection and mine clearing. It was later sold to the Egyptian navy. In 1969, an Israeli fighter plane struck two large holes into her starboard side, causing her to sink while anchored. The wreck, measuring 60m/197ft in length, lies on its port side in 33m/108ft of water at the stern. Divers can explore the blast hole on the starboard side, the propellers, and the rest of the wreck, which is in good condition. However, it is not recommended to penetrate the wreck due to small and tight passages. The sea bed surrounding the wreck is littered with live ammunition, which divers are prohibited from touching. The forward deck gun is missing, but the rest of the wreck is intact. A marker buoy is attached to one of the propeller shafts, and one of the two propellers is missing. Aft accommodation and a large machine gun can be found when swimming forward from the stern. Cable winches are located next to the funnel. There are a pair of smaller machine guns loaded with live ammunition in front of the bridge. The starboard bridge door is open, but too cramped for diver entry. The foredeck is bare, with only the barbette, loose anchor chain, and a capstan. The starboard anchor is tight against the hawse pipe. The Mohamed Hasabella can be reached within 2 minutes and is also worth visiting.