Taiyong

Taiyong is a dive site in Aqaba, Jordan, centered around the wreck of the South Korean vessel Taiyong, which was sunk to create an artificial reef in the waters south of the city. The wreck rests on a sandy bottom and has been progressively transformed by marine colonization into a thriving underwater habitat. Soft corals — particularly vibrant dendronephthya in shades of purple, orange, and red — have claimed the ship's superstructure, while hard corals establish themselves on the more stable horizontal surfaces. The holds and compartments attract dense schools of glassfish, and lionfish are ever-present hunters among the coral growth. Moray eels peer from pipe openings and structural gaps. The Taiyong adds to Aqaba's impressive collection of purpose-sunk wrecks, each contributing to the artificial reef network that supplements the natural coral reefs along Jordan's short but biodiversity-rich coastline.