As the story tells, “Yatush” served as a patrol cruiser in Vietnam for quite a long time, and when the Americans decided to withdraw their forces, they gave the ship and some other military machinery to the Israeli army.
The road to “Yatush”
This dive-site is situated on the most beautiful coral beach, somewhere in the middle point between a fencing of a nature reserve and a station the main aim of which is to prevent water pollution. The shipwreck itself is located on a gradually descending underwater hill. The stern of the ship is directed at the shore and is laying 24-26 meters deep. The fore is further from the shore and lays 30-32 meters deep (it is especially important to divers with a low level of admission). The depth level varies depending on the tide.
How to find the object under water?
Professionals of our diving club in Eilat highly recommend making your first dive to “Yatush” only accompanied by an experienced guide-instructor or a local diver that has a certificate. But even if you decide to try and visit this dive-site by yourself (with a friend or a partner like you) give the water a close look from the shore. Roughly a hundred meters to the north of natural reserve fencing you will see a large (25x25 meters) square of buoys on the surface – it is a place for bathers. Right over there you should enter the sea, but pay attention to the fact that the bottom there is covered with big and smooth stone formations (be careful not to slip).
You should enter the sea a little to the left of Aqua Sport beach, in the very center of the square separated with buoys. You can dive right from the shore and start swimming in the direction of the depth, but you mustn’t leave the buoys area. When you reach the depth of 7-9 meters, you will see a steep underwater slope on which hundreds of eels can usually be seen. You should swim along the slope until you reach 12 meter depth and turn 90°. Carry on swimming until you see a secluded coral (approximately in 50 meters). There you should again turn 90° in the direction of the slope and find one more coral on the depth of 17-18 meters. Swim to the coral and the further down along the slope. In 15 meters you will see the stern side of “Yatush” in front of you.
The shipwreck itself is situated on a steep slope that is why the fore of the ship lays 30 meters deep under the water at the time of tide. Check the gauge pressure in your cylinder at the time of excursion. And when it is time to return, swim back the way you swam here. Do not forget the safety rules and only then will you have a safe trip that you will remember forever.