REDDOG DIVING - RED SEA

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UMM LEJJ

Last Update August 8, 2008

RED SEA

DIVING

UMM LEJJ

YANBU

RABIGH

JEDDAH

FARASAN BANKS

The December 2004 expedition was planned by Michael Pham and James Vandervyver

to explore the nearly virgin reefs north of Umm Lejj.

Dream Voyager Luxury Live-aboard Photo Credit- Steve Barlow

Leaving Umm Lejj at sunrise.

VIDEOS BEST VIEWED AT FULL SCREEN MODE

December, 2004 SASHIB AS SUFLANI 31 mb Video

December, 2004 WHITE TIP REEF SHARKS 28 mb Video

December, 2004 TOM’S WRECK DISCOVERED 43 mb Video

December, 2004 UMM LEJJ DIVE ANTHOLOGY 60 mb Video

Selected stills credit Steve Barlow

August, 2005 HISANI ISLAND to SHAZENIY REEF 50 mb Video

August, 2005 DIVING THE ARGONOPTOUS WRECK 32 mb Video

August, 2005 MARKER 7 DOLPHINS 1 mb Video

August, 2005 MARKER 7 WRECK DISCOVERED 16 mb Video

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THE HISTORY OF TOM’S WRECK AND MARKER 7 WRECK

These are the Ribs of Tom’s Wreck Laid bare by Time and Wave Action at 60 feet (18 m) depth.

Sadana Wreck Length 164 feet (50 m.) 900 tons displacement.
Sank probably on Northbound route from Jeddah to Suez carrying Arab pottery, pipes, and Chinese porcelain identical to Tom’s Wreck. Also identified were coffee (from the Hadramaut), spices, and incense, arak (date based liquor), and possibly silk and pilgrims returning from Mekkah. The Sadana Wreck was operated by a muslim crew and laden with cargo for the
Egyptian and Ottoman world of the latter 18th century . Southbound ships from Suez would have been carrying wheat, oil, lentils, and beans to the port of Jeddah. So lucrative was the cargo trade that she could have paid for her construction costs in only 3 voyages.

The wreck was dated from the Captain’s stewpot inscribed “Sahibi Ra’is Musa Mahmoud 1178”

Hijra 1178= 1764 AD So we assume that Tom’s Wreck is from this era as well.

How large is Tom’s wreck? Informally reviewing the video and using divers for scale I estimate the ship was at least 100 feet (30 m.) long and had a beam width of at least 25 feet (10 m.) Probably not as large as the Sadana Wreck. Note the huge pile of pottery on the left.

What did Tom’s wreck look like? Without more detailed excavation by marine archaeologists, we can’t be sure but we can use some educated guesses:

LARGE INDIAN BUILT SAILING DHOW: Most of the sailing dhows of this age were from India. Length and beam would have to be expanded from this image to fit Tom’s Wreck. Try to imagine that enormous cargo of pottery crammed into the stern of this vessel. It wouldn’t fit!

LARGE ADVANCED INDIAN BUILT SAILING DHOW (Mid to late 1700’s): Dhow design begins to converge with European vessels trading in the region. Timbers would be more massive and larger cargos were possible. Tom’s Wreck would need expert archaeological excavation to help sort out the type and origin of the vessel.

Along with the Arab, Indian, Egyptian and Ottoman local traders, Dutch, French, and English entrepreneurs were trading this leg of the lucrative silk road. The ship pictured is the fabled “ADVENTURE GALLEY” of CAPTAIN KIDD. He was sent on a mission to interrupt French trade in the Red Sea in 1697. His crew coerced him into outright piracy of any commercial vessel. Kidd made his name in pirate lore with the capture of the "Quedah Merchant", a fabulously rich Indian ship traveling with silks, guns, spices and gold. He split some of the booty with his crew, scuttled the "Adventure Galley", and sailed for the Caribbean on the captured Indian vessel.

When he returned to England …

December, 2004 Dive Team

MARKER 7 WRECK August, 2005

We planned another expedition to explore Tom’s wreck in August, 2005. However the Umm Lejj coast guard forbid us to go north and escorted us to make she we went south of Hisani Island. Plan B: Dive the Argonptous wreck and reef but we wanted to find another wreck and did!

The Argonoptous was known to be a Greek freighter that was rumored to have run aground in 1938. We went abord her and did some “archaeology” by finding the ship’s log dated 1979. Blueprints were found putting her construction in Japan in 1961.

The Marker 7 Wreck was found by the whole group doing a drift dive along the reef wall. Many large pots (zilla – storage vessels) were found in the reef wall. No ships timbers were found. The ship probably hit the reef, dropped some of her cargo, and sank elsewhere.