Welcome!
South Africa has a long coastline with idyllic seaside holiday towns and huge deep-sea harbours, an arid and mountainous interior with tiny farming villages and sprawling cities. You’ll find world-famous game parks, nature reserves and protected areas as well as suburbs, cityscapes and townships. South Africa offers an incredible diversity of landscapes, scenery, wildlife and natural attractions.
Best time to dive?
The months between October and May are the best ones to try diving with sharks. The activity is carried out with protective cages and with the assistance of expert personnel.
In general, for those who love diving South Africa is a real paradise, thanks to the richness of its sea bottoms. The main diving areas are two, the north-east coast, characterized by the presence of tiger sharks, manta rays and sardines, and the south coast, near Cape Town, characterized by colder waters. Info by vivitravels.com
Best time to Dive?
The months between October and May are the best ones to try diving with sharks. The activity is carried out with protective cages and with the assistance of expert personnel.
In general, for those who love diving South Africa is a real paradise, thanks to the richness of its sea bottoms. The main diving areas are two, the north-east coast, characterized by the presence of tiger sharks, manta rays and sardines, and the south coast, near Cape Town, characterized by colder waters. Info by vivitravels.com
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Do you offer Diving services?
Promote your services and connect with divers
Are you a Scuba diver?
Join and get the best benefits for your next trip
Sea Life
South Africa boasts exceptionally rich marine life. The country has a huge diversity of marine ecosystems and a variety of species, which represents an enormously valuable South African resource. The West Coast is home to Atlantic ocean dwellers such as the African penguin and the cape fur seal.
On the warmer East Coast, you’ll find dolphins and the Southern Right Whales thriving in the Indian Ocean. Info by southafrica.co.za
Dive Sites
From the tranquility of diving in beautiful coral gardens to the thrill of getting up close and personal with intimidating sharks in their natural environment, South Africa is a world-class dive destination. Home to a vast diversity of marine species, it caters to all levels of experience and adrenaline seekers. If you’re not sure where to start, here are some of the top dive locations spread along this spectacular 2,500 km stretch of coastline. Whether you are taking your first steps in diving, seeking an adventurous wreck or night dive, or looking to test your limits with technical dives, South Africa is home to plenty of professional operators that will cater to your needs. As this spectacular underwater world is accompanied by an equally magnificent landscape above sea level with its own enticing wildlife, South Africa should be on all divers’ must-see list.
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Aliwal Shoal, KwaZulu Natal
Recognised as one of the top ten dive sites in the world, Aliwal Shoal is famed for its shark sightings, including ragged-tooth sharks, tiger sharks and hammerheads. Located about 50km south of Durban near the town of Umkomaas on KwaZulu Natal’s southern coastline, this ancient sandstone reef within a Marine Protected Area has dive sites to suit all levels. In addition to the thrill of diving with sharks within their natural environment, there are also a couple of fascinating wreck dives to explore.
Zulu Natal
100km from the southern border of Mozambique lies Sodwana Bay, affectionately known as ‘Sordies’. This heavily protected marine and coastal reserve is a nature lover’s paradise, both above and below the water. In addition to impressive Zambezi and tiger sharks, expect to see tiger angelfish, butterfly fish and longnose hawkfish amidst a vibrant coral reef. Whether you’re a beginner looking to venture out into the open seas for the first time or an expert looking for a technical diving challenge, Sodwana Bay has dive sites to suit. In the summer months, the water is an enticing 25°C and you might be lucky enough to even see turtles laying their eggs on the park’s beaches.
The ‘Sardine Run’ at Protea Banks
If you are visiting South Africa in June or July then diving during the annual ‘Sardine Run’ is a must. The sardines migrate east along the coastline from the cold waters around Cape Town to the warmer waters of KwaZulu Natal, accompanied by an incredible spectacle of large marine life coming to feast on this moving buffet. One of the best places to witness this is at Protea Banks circa 160km south of Durban. Situated 7.5km straight out to sea off Shelly Beach, Protea Banks is a fossilised sand dune from which a dive as shallow as five metres will immerse you in all the ‘Sardine Run’ action.
Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape
If you can handle the cold (or own a dry suit), then the reefs around Port Elizabeth won’t disappoint. In addition to Avalanche Reef, which is rich in colourful marine life and home to a vast array of corals, there is also a fantastic wreck dive at Haerlem Wreck. In 1987, this navy frigate sunk to 21 meters and is now home to beautiful soft corals, fish and sharks that hide in the countless nooks.
Mossel Bay, Garden Route
South Africa’s Garden Route is undoubtedly one of the country’s favourite getaway destinations with beautiful scenery and coastal towns to explore. But the aquatic landscape is just as fascinating, most notably at Mossel Bay. From colourful drop-offs, swathed in corals and home to impressive fish, to cage-diving with great white sharks, the dives here will appeal to all adventure levels. A night dive is also highly recommended with plenty of weird and wonderful creatures emerging once the sun goes down.
Dive sites info by AFRICA GEOGRAPHIC
How to Arrive
As sub-Saharan Africa’s economic and tourism hub, South Africa is well served with flights from London and the rest of Europe. The majority of these touch down at Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International, but there are also frequent flights into Cape Town. From North America there are a relatively small number of nonstop flights into Johannesburg. From London there are nonstop flights with British Airways, South African Airways and Virgin Atlantic to Johannesburg and Cape Town. From the US there are three nonstop flights a week from New York (JFK) to Johannesburg operated by South African Airways. There are nonstop flights from Sydney and Perth to Johannesburg, with onward connections to Cape Town. Flights from New Zealand tend to be via Sydney.
