The oldest of the Abu Nuhas wrecks, the SS Carnatic was a P&O steamship that struck the reef in September 1869 carrying mail, passengers, gold sovereigns and cases of fine wine. Twenty-seven people died; the survivors clung to the masts and were rescued from Shadwan Island after a day and a half. The hull, draped in soft coral, sits intact and on its port side at depths between 20 and 27 metres. With visibility usually over 25 metres, divers swim through the open ribs of the hull where the wooden decking has rotted away, with bottle fragments and porcelain still occasionally visible in the sand. Glassfish swarm the dark interior. A signature dive of the Red Sea and a regular item on Hurghada day-boat itineraries — best dived with a slack tide and an experienced guide.