Snap shot

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SOME 70 per cent of the surface of the Earth is made up of water, writes Mohamed El-Hebeishy -- a fact that made seafaring one of the earliest and most essential human activities. Galleys, caravels and eventually cruise ships, different as they remain, have at least one thing in common: they are all subject to being drowned.

And of the world's numerous gulfs -- gateways separating waterways -- the Straight of Tiran is among the most fatal. Every vessel setting sail from Aqaba or Eilat must pass through Tiran, negotiating its four coral reefs -- the Jackson, Woodhouse, Thomas and Gordon -- before making its way to international waters. Many ships make their way through this incredibly narrow passageway; others -- among them the Loullia -- meet their end.

Built in Sweden in 1952, wrecked on 29 September 1981 when it ran into the Gordon on its way from Suez to Aqaba, the Loullia was a freighter bearing the flag of Panama. The wreck remains, although the last quarter century has taken its toll on it -- a diving and snorkelling spot of worldwide appeal. In fact all four reefs attract divers from the four corners of the earth. Ranging in depth from 15m to 35m, the spot, with an average visibility of 20m, accommodates both professional and inexperienced divers.