Numidia

The Numidia was carrying rails and wheels for the construction of the Indian railways, bound for Calcutta, when she ran aground on the reef of Big Brother. Attempts to refloat the ship failed; the crew was taken to the island and the cargo was transferred to other ships. No fatalities were reported in the wreck. The captain stayed on the island for seven weeks salvaging the cargo, until the ship broke in two and the stern sank against the reef. The Board of Trade inquiry, held in Glasgow in October 1901, concluded that the second mate on watch had probably fallen asleep and failed to call the captain, and his certificate was suspended for nine months.

A pair of locomotive wheels still lies at the bow, the origin of the nickname "the railway wreck". The remains of the cargo and the bow, on top of the reef, are covered in hard and soft corals. Giant trevally, great barracuda, Titan triggerfish, yellow-edged moray eels and lionfish also appear on the wreck.

From June to November the sea tends to be calmer, the water warmer and the trip more likely to run. From December to April there tend to be more sharks, but crossings are rougher and there is a risk of cancellation. In the region, oceanic whitetip sightings tend to cluster in autumn, and in winter the wind can cancel the trip.