The ghost ship beach in Algeria.. Adventurers storm the unknown and break the fear of the delinquent Sofia 

Algeria - In the

city ​​of Qorbaz in the Algerian state of Skikda, the view of Sofia Beach looks like a decoration for a Hollywood horror movie or an old pirate movie, a charming beach with a wrecked ship in the middle, rusted as if it wanted to serve the plot woven around it.

A general view of Sofia Beach as a decoration for a Hollywood horror movie or old pirate movie (Al Jazeera)

ship story

The story of the stranded ship "Sofia" dates back to March 2008 when the captain of the Maltese ship requested relief from the Algerian navy after he was unable to move it, as its base hit the sand on the outskirts of the Qorbaz beach in Skikda, 500 km east of the capital.

The sand impeded the movement of the ship that was carrying the goods, despite the turbulence of the sea that day and the waves' height of more than 4 meters. A rescue ship was sent to get the sailors who were inside the ship, but the bad weather led to the sinking of one of the Algerian rescuers.

At the time, the forces were forced - due to the complexity of the situation - to reinforce the rescue operation by calling in a larger ship and another crew, and the last ship succeeded in rescuing the two ships and everyone on them.

The Maltese ship "Sofia" remained stranded despite all attempts to move it and try to drag it towards the shore.

The two crews, "Egyptian and Dutch", cut it into two parts to facilitate its removal, but to no avail. Rather, the matter became more complicated, and the ship remained smashed into two parts on that shore.

Myths and Truth

There are many myths, and the truth is one. Young people visiting this beach tell stories of horror they lived during their overnight stay in front of the wrecked ship. Ismail, 27, says that one night when he and his companions camped on the beach, they saw lights emanating from the ship.

Some also discuss the drowning of a young man who tried to climb it, while others tell their vision of people in strange shapes wandering inside, and other stories, including what the mind can comprehend and others that appear as a scene from the scenes of horror films.

There are many legends about this beach opposite the wrecked ship (the island)

Amir and his companions confirm that all of this is not true, pointing out that the residents of the area launched this rumor on the beach to alienate its visitors because of the sudden and great popularity of the beach, which disturbed some residents who are accustomed to calm.

While the approaching Sofia can not ignore the sounds made by the water - which flooded some of its rusty rooms - and the sound of the wind that enters from the rooms and exits through the windows, causing a feeling of fear for some and a passion for exploration for others.

Young people visiting this beach tell horror stories they lived during their stay in front of the wrecked ship (the island)

worth a trip

Young Boushamala Osama Amir, 27, who is a member of the "Rahala" team for adventure and exploration, one of the residents of Skikda, tells Al Jazeera Net that the place "was completely deserted before Sofia ran aground. This ship drew attention to this beach."

The security crisis - which Algeria experienced in the nineties - imposed isolation on many mountainous places and even the beaches, and adventure lovers in Algeria are trying to "open" new places and spread reassurance in them so that their fear will disappear, according to Yassin, 24, from the city of M'sila.

The beach was worth removing fear from because it is in fact safe, as the youth of "Rahla" (Al Jazeera) say.

Osama Amir, a member of the adventure group "Rahala", confirms that "this beach was worth removing fear from, because it is in fact safe." This young man, accompanied by his three friends, Ali, Bilal and Hani, travels an hour or more on foot to finally reach "Sofia" ".

This ship broke the isolation of one of the charming virgin beaches on the Algerian coast, which was named after her after carrying the name of the city of "Qorbaz" for dozens of years. Today, Algerian families flock to the beach and travel distances on foot to enjoy it and tell the story of the "ship" to their children.