In search of the Chicken Wreck and other Jeddah attractions!

For those in the know, scuba diving off the coast of Jeddah in Saudi Arabia is some of the best around. As it is on the Red Sea it offers similar underwater attractions to those available in Egypt but is still relatively undiscovered as a scuba destination. As a result, divers visiting the area have an awful lot of room to themselves and thoroughly enjoy their dives.

The big draw off the coast of Jeddah for scuba fans is the Chicken Wreck. A misfortunate skipper whose cargo was frozen chicken managed to fall foul of the reef and subsequently lost not only his load but also his ship, which now wallows on the reef at a depth of around 15 metres.

Water temperatures in summer are around 29 degrees Celsius, making diving conditions extremely pleasant but in winter temperatures can drop to as low as 22 degrees. Any divers heading for Jeddah on a winter break would be well advised to pack their 5mm wetsuit complete with a hood if they are to avoid any chills!

When not engaged in diving, the main attraction for visitors to Jeddah is the old town, known as al-Balad. The ancient city walls have long gone, but still-surviving historic gates mark out the perimeter of the old town which contains a jumble of old buildings, including rickety coral-built houses. Although obviously in abundant supply due to the large reef just off shore, coral is not a particularly robust building material. As a result many of these two and three storey buildings look like they are teetering on the verge of collapse!