Emirati adventurer Khalifa Al Mazrouei has achieved his dream of reaching the German submarine wreck off the coast of Fujairah, which has been resting at a depth of about 110 meters since World War II. The submarine was sunk by a British Royal Air Force bomber on October 16, 1943, leading to the drowning of its 53 crew members, with only one surviving by remaining afloat for 28 hours until rescued near Khor Fakkan.
In an interview with "Emirates Today," Al Mazrouei expressed pride in this accomplishment, dedicating it to His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, for his great support, as well as to his family for their assistance throughout his mission. He emphasized that the youth of the UAE can achieve their ambitions despite challenges.
Al Mazrouei began his diving journey in 2008 under his father's training but paused for university studies, returning in 2012 driven by a passion for adventure and exploration beneath the sea. He started with recreational diving before moving to professional diving with advanced equipment and techniques, reaching an advanced level that enabled him to explore sunken ships near Fujairah’s shores. During this time, he learned about the German submarine wreck and felt compelled to explore it, despite the adventure's challenges requiring intensive training.
After approximately three years of training, in 2018, he learned of a team of divers attempting to explore the submarine, but their efforts were unsuccessful, resulting in the death of one team member despite his professionalism. This outcome caused Al Mazrouei concern, leading him to consider abandoning the exploration due to the hazardous depth, perilous currents, and abandoned fishing nets.
However, his desire to explore the wreck proved stronger than his fears. He decided to return for another attempt, seeking to understand the team's mistakes and the reasons behind the fatal incident to avoid them. He discovered that the diver had become entangled in fishing lines and perished due to the high pressure.
Al Mazrouei continued training for three years with trainer Simon Nadim, who has extensive experience in cave diving. They trained three days a week, often diving for more than three hours, including training on underwater communication and identifying potential errors.
The day before the dive, Al Mazrouei felt fear consuming him as it was the plunge into the unknown; they were unaware of what awaited them in the submarine, lacking images or videos of it, and had no knowledge of the underwater conditions.
They delayed the dive to ensure equipment safety and to resolve some issues, scheduling a new date, which coincided with the tropical storm "Shaheen" affecting the region and the shores of Oman. Al Mazrouei initially perceived this as a sign to withdraw but decided he could not abandon his goal, so they waited for the storm to pass and for the sea to calm.
As they approached the site, his fear escalated, but he reassured himself that it was just a normal dive. At 90 meters depth, visibility improved, revealing a massive structure resting at the ocean's depths, akin to a graveyard for soldiers whose stories remain untold. He felt as though he was heading to a place that housed significant historical narratives.
Upon seeing the huge submarine standing upright in a haunting scene, his fear dissipated, replaced by a sense of ownership over that location and the realization that he was within his long-sought goal of six years. Overwhelmed with indescribable joy, he secured ropes around the wreck to explore it from all angles, noting that despite the wreck's age, it remained intact, resembling the models seen in documentaries about the World War, and he even spotted the large cannon it carried.
