GIANNIS D. Wreck Directory & Diving Guide. Aquatours Scuba Diving Holidays.

Giannis D

Launched in 1969 as the Shoyo Maru, the Giannis D was built by the Kuryshima Dock Company of Imabari, Japan. She was an 87 metres, 2932 ton, twin hold general cargo vessel, with a stern bridge and engine room. A 6 cylinder diesel engine gave her a top speed of 12 knots.

In 1975 she was sold and re-named the Markos, (not to be confused with the Marcus) until 1980, when the ship was sold on to the Dumarc Shipping and Trading Corporation of Piraeus, Greece and finally named Giannis D.

Constructed: 1969 (Japan)
Wrecked: 1983
Length of ship: 87m (285ft)
Wreck location: Abu Nuhas reef, Egypt.
Depth range of wreck: 4m to 25m

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Final Voyage

In April 1983 the Giannis D, with a cargo of wood, departed Rijeka (Croatia) bound for Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) and Hodeidah (Yemen). She passed through the Suez Canal and headed south through the Gulf of Suez. According to official reports, she suddenly veered off course, headlong onto the north-west corner of Abu Nuhas Reef.

"Discovering" the Wreck

At 04.00 hrs on the 19th April 1983, Lawson Wood and myself (Peter Collings) were woken by the very excited skipper of the Lady Jenny 3 live-aboard. He had just listened in to an S.O.S. and subsequent rescue of the crew of the Greek cargo vessel Giannis D. The crew had abandoned the vessel, which is listing, and had been taken by an Egyptian tug to an oil platform and then by helicopter to the mainland.

From the transmissions we were able to locate where the ship had struck, and at dawn we were face to face with an amazing site - that of a freighter listing to port, hard and fast into the northern face of Abu Nuhas, her deck cargo of mahogany being tossed up into the air like matchsticks.

An initial survey around the ship revealed a huge tear in her side. We boarded the now abandoned ship and explored all the upper (dry) areas, retrieving the ships plans and other artifacts.

Left & Above images: A view from the Bridge - Dawn on April 19th 1983 - the GIANNIS D aground at Abu Nuhas. "Discovered" by Lawson Wood, Peter Collings & the crew of Lady Jenny III.

A dive from the upper accommodation through the ship to the tear in her hull was made easier with the use of the recovered ships plans, and a survey of the surrounding reef showed the devastation caused by the grounding and also the water logged wood being thrashed onto the reef by the now receding storm. (It is interesting to note at this point, that we were not aware of the location of the Carnatic only a few hundred yards away.) We noted the other three wrecks (Kimon M, Marcus, Chrisoula K) and vowed to return to explore them another time.

A year later the Giannis D finally broke in two and settled into the seabed, her hold flattened but her stern and bow sections very much intact. Over the years little has changed except for the invasion of the many species of Red Sea corals, invertebrates and fishes. The letter D on her funnel has often lead to the wreck being wrongly identified as the Dana.

The Wreck Today

At the stern, her bridge, companionways, accommodation area and her engine room are all easily accessible and never fail to thrill even the most ardent of wreck divers. A photogenic shoal of Glass fish reside near the engine room vents and the obligatory Lionfish is never far away. Anthea’s too have made the wreck their home and at times it’s easy to forget this is a wreck and not a reef.

It is quite an eerie sensation swimming through the bridge and companionways I had walked along in 1983. The angle at which she lies is the same, and each dive brings back that memorable day that gave the Red Sea this great wreck.

Her king post reaches to within 4 metres of the surface and makes a perfect place to off gas.

The stern section is cut clean from the rest of the wreck and the port companion way rests on the seabed. Doorways at the stern allow for access into the steering room (one floor down) and the engine room as well as various storerooms.

Lines of portholes permit sunbeams to enter the accommodation block creating a wonderful atmosphere and a challenge for any cameraman. The stern has become a playground for divers.

The mid section has collapsed, being made up of two holds, with the derrick and winches in the centre. Although morays lurk here it is not worth spending too much time as a more substantial part of the wreck waits a few minutes away further along the reef.

The bow section is still intact, lying completely over onto its port side, facing away from the reef. Again, this provides a great photo opportunity, especially from a few meters further along the reef looking back at the bow. Anchors, windlass and deck fittings are all in situ. Again there is a sheer cut where the fo’cle has broken away mid section. Here glass fish abound, and as this section of the wreck gets less attention, healthy soft corals cover the winches and handrails.

Her foremast, which runs almost horizontally with its cables and pulleys still intact, is almost a coral reef in its own right - the ladder is covered in soft corals and reef fishes abound. This is also a great view point for the bow section.

Below pictures: From Bow to Stern... the Giannis D is a playground for divers and fish.

Diving the Wreck

As the king post rises to within a few meters of the surface, the rib will usually moor here. The descent down the kingpost reveals the stern section below. Now swim aft beyond the stern and take in the view from the sandy area just off the wreck (24m). This is a good spot for photos and for orientation. Here you can locate the lower (port) corridor which gives access to the engine room. Swimming up this corridor, take the second door on the right - straight into the engine room. Explore the deeper part, workshops, tool store etc - and exit via the same door (return to the upper section later in the dive). Now turn right continuing along the corridor. Exit via a doorway to the left - you should now be below the bulkhead where the wreck has broken in two (24m).

From here its a short swim through the flattened holds and hatch covers to the fore-section. The bulk head will come into view first - swim beyond the bow for another great view. Swim back via the foremast - watch for a cleaning station (18m) - along it back to the deck where the winches are located. Turn left and a shoal of glass fish will come into view. After exploring the fo’c’sle swim back to the stern via the flattened area (18m), watch out for batfish, morays and several anemone fish guarding their piece of real estate.

Shortly the stern section looms back into view and access to the bridge, ward room, canteen and store rooms is gained from a doorway on the port side. Once in the interior, there are several floors to explore and a door on each level (starboard side) returns you to the upper section of the engine room - this time you can exit via the skylights to finish the dive off in 8 metres around the funnel and engine house. Terminate the dive via the kingpost.

A very popular and often busy site, it is essential to time this dive right otherwise you could find yourself in the engine room surrounded by hoards of divers.

It should be stated though, that while this is an easy wreck to penetrate, it should only be done with those who are experienced in overhead environments. For those not wishing to enter the wreck the exterior still has much to offer.

Some find the wreck very disorientating - the strange angle at which it lies can confuse the brain. Otherwise, the wreck is free from currents but sometimes subject to swell from the north.

Watch out also for encounters with dolphins - a large pod lives nearby.