Ally

Egypt's popular Thistlegorm wreck will be off-limits to divers for a month while measures to conserve the wreck are put in place.

The wreck will be closed to all diving from 15 November to 15 December, the Hurghada Environmental Protection and Conservation Association (HEPCA) has announced. The aim is to avoid a continuation of the damage caused by the many thousands of shots which have been put down into the ship over the years.

To this end, a system of moorings is to be laid around the wreck. Liveaboards will be required to tie up at one of eight mooring stations, each capable of accommodating three vessels. Divers will then be dropped off by tender at buoyed dive lines, designated separately for descents and ascents.

In addition, a series of holes is to be drilled in the ship to allow the escape of divers' exhaled air, which tends to create air pockets in parts of the wreck. Over time, given the combination of water and air, these have the effect of accelerating erosion of the wreck's structure.

An improved blueprint for dive briefings will also be introduced, to prepare diving visitors in the best possible way for sympathetic diving on the wreck.

Some had expected the authorities not to sanction closure of the Thistlegorm until, say, the end of January, with the peak diving season over, in order to protect tourism revenues.

But HEPCA has succeeded in pushing through the measures, which it has described as "urgent", with near-immediate effect. The Thistlegorm will be shut at the height of the season.

The work is being carried out as part of the new Saving the Red Sea Wrecks campaign which, in Britain, will be launched by HEPCA and the Red Sea Non-Governmental Office at the Dive Show in Birmingham over 13/14 October.

The campaign will soon tackle another popular site, the Rosalie Moller, along with a number of other wrecks, in order, says HEPCA, to "raise the benchmark for Egypt's reputation in providing environmentally sustainable tourism".

"The campaign already has the full support of many influential individuals, dive centres and boat operators, tour operators, the Chamber of Diving and Water Sports (Egypt), regional bodies and organisations," it said.

(Divernet)