Ship Maria Schröder in Red Sea

55 years ago, on Friday the 13th of April 1956 the international press reported the ship Maria Schröder had sank while sailing in the Egyptian military zone. Fortunately the entire crew was rescued safely. The Ship was build in 1920 in Trondheim - Norway, then named the Rolf Jarl. In August 1950 it was sold to Reederei Richard Schröder from Hamburg- Germany and renamed the Maria Schröder. The ship ran aground and sank in the Red Sea on a voyage from Aqaba to West Germany after hitting the reef at Nabq Park, Sinai in the Gulf of Aqaba just north of Sharm el Sheikh. Some parts of the wreck are on top of the reef plate till nowadays, while the rest is scattered over the sloping reef, down to 24 meters deep. Silently presiding over the scene is the wreck of the Maria Schröder, its presence dramatically hovering over the place, igniting the imagination with a romantic gothic flame. The Maria Schröder is but one of the several ship-wrecks to be seen along the coasts of Sinai. It can be easily reached, and presents an impressive sight as most of its body is exposed above the water. It also provides a good spot for diving as its underwater portion has been colonised by many reef fish and corals.