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SOUTH AFRICA: Beautiful and diverse diving
SOUTH AFRICA
South Africa is a land of enormous diversity, with cosmopolitan towns, exceptional national parks, beautiful scenery, fine food and wines, excellent golf courses, and of course fantastic diving opportunities. The long coastline is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean on the West, and the Indian Ocean on the South and East, meaning that there is a huge contrast between the country’s diving areas. On the East, the Mozambique current flows down the coast, bringing with it warm, tropical waters that encourage colourful fish and unusual nudibranchs. On the West coast, the waters are cold, and the fish are less colourful, but there are rich kelp forests that nurture interesting invertebrates. The country is home to dolphins, turtles, and lots of sharks, including ragged tooth sharks; bull sharks; tiger sharks; whale sharks; and great white sharks. There are many wrecks off South Africa’s coastline, which have provided some excellent dive sites. There are dive schools in just about every coastal town, meaning that South Africa is a fantastic place to visit for a diving vacation. There are a few inland dive sites, which are ideal for learning, as some of the coastal waters have challenging conditions and should only be undertaken by experienced, fit divers.
One of the most exciting reasons to dive in South Africa is to witness the annual Sardine run. This is an enormous animal migration on the East Coast of the country, from the North of the Eastern Cape to the South of KwaZulu Natal. Every year, from around May to July, millions of sardines travel up the coast en masse. The vast schools are followed by dolphins, whales, sharks, seals and other big fish all wanting to cash in on the abundance of food. Divers will be spoilt for choice during this extraordinary natural phenomenon.
South Africa Highlights
The Western Cape has some outstandingly beautiful scenery, extending Northwards along the Atlantic Ocean, and Eastwards along the Indian Ocean. Its capital, Cape Town, is one of the top tourist destinations in the world, thanks to its cultural diversity, its excellent food and wine, and its superb attractions. No trip to Cape Town is complete without going up the almighty Table Mountain, which stands majestically over the city, and has breathtaking views out over the sea. The V&A waterfront is home to a great selection of cosmopolitan bars, restaurants and shops, as well as an aquarium and an excellent craft market. The Winelands region is an area of enormous natural beauty, where world renowned wines are produced. Tourists can enjoy a spot of wine tasting and a delicious lunch, in the surrounding splendour of the vineyards. The West Coast, which borders the Southern Atlantic Ocean, is a highlight for nature lovers, as there is an abundance of interesting birds, and whales are also often sighted off the coast. The famous Garden Route, which extends East from Cape Town, has majestic mountains and breathtaking views. The beautiful sandy beaches, lakes, rivers and forests all make this a must-see area of South Africa. The diving around the Western Cape is largely in cold water, however there is quite a big difference between the Atlantic area and the Indian Ocean waters of the Western Cape, which are noticeably warmer. This is one of the best places in the world to participate in great white shark diving, which takes place within a cage, but is a surefire way to get the adrenaline racing. There are good scuba diving hubs around the Western Cape coastline, including Hermanus, Mossel Bay, Knysna and Plettenberg Bay. This stretch of coastline has numerous shipwrecks, many of which have become excellent scuba diving sites.
The Eastern Cape is home to some exceptional wildlife national parks, and safaris are extremely popular here. The capital, Port Elizabeth, is a charming seaside destination, and is an excellent hub to start a diving holiday in South Africa. This part of the country enjoys the annual Sardine Run, which is an exceptional feat of nature for scuba divers to witness. Popular diving areas on the Eastern Cape include St Francis Bay, Port Alfred and East London.
KzaZulu Natal has very different diving conditions to further around the South African coastline. The waters are warmer, thanks to the Mozambique current that flows through this part of the Indian Ocean, bringing with it warm waters that allow tropical fish, typical to Indo-pacific regions to flourish. The area of Sodwana Bay has the most southern coral reefs in the world, and therefore it is extremely popular with scuba divers. Other renowned diving destinations include Durban, Margate and Umkomaas.
South Africa is a land of enormous diversity, with cosmopolitan towns, exceptional national parks, beautiful scenery, fine food and wines, excellent golf courses, and of course fantastic diving opportunities. The long coastline is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean on the West, and the Indian Ocean on the South and East, meaning that there is a huge contrast between the country’s diving areas. On the East, the Mozambique current flows down the coast, bringing with it warm, tropical waters that encourage colourful fish and unusual nudibranchs. On the West coast, the waters are cold, and the fish are less colourful, but there are rich kelp forests that nurture interesting invertebrates. The country is home to dolphins, turtles, and lots of sharks, including ragged tooth sharks; bull sharks; tiger sharks; whale sharks; and great white sharks. There are many wrecks off South Africa’s coastline, which have provided some excellent dive sites. There are dive schools in just about every coastal town, meaning that South Africa is a fantastic place to visit for a diving vacation. There are a few inland dive sites, which are ideal for learning, as some of the coastal waters have challenging conditions and should only be undertaken by experienced, fit divers.
One of the most exciting reasons to dive in South Africa is to witness the annual Sardine run. This is an enormous animal migration on the East Coast of the country, from the North of the Eastern Cape to the South of KwaZulu Natal. Every year, from around May to July, millions of sardines travel up the coast en masse. The vast schools are followed by dolphins, whales, sharks, seals and other big fish all wanting to cash in on the abundance of food. Divers will be spoilt for choice during this extraordinary natural phenomenon.
South Africa Highlights
The Western Cape has some outstandingly beautiful scenery, extending Northwards along the Atlantic Ocean, and Eastwards along the Indian Ocean. Its capital, Cape Town, is one of the top tourist destinations in the world, thanks to its cultural diversity, its excellent food and wine, and its superb attractions. No trip to Cape Town is complete without going up the almighty Table Mountain, which stands majestically over the city, and has breathtaking views out over the sea. The V&A waterfront is home to a great selection of cosmopolitan bars, restaurants and shops, as well as an aquarium and an excellent craft market. The Winelands region is an area of enormous natural beauty, where world renowned wines are produced. Tourists can enjoy a spot of wine tasting and a delicious lunch, in the surrounding splendour of the vineyards. The West Coast, which borders the Southern Atlantic Ocean, is a highlight for nature lovers, as there is an abundance of interesting birds, and whales are also often sighted off the coast. The famous Garden Route, which extends East from Cape Town, has majestic mountains and breathtaking views. The beautiful sandy beaches, lakes, rivers and forests all make this a must-see area of South Africa. The diving around the Western Cape is largely in cold water, however there is quite a big difference between the Atlantic area and the Indian Ocean waters of the Western Cape, which are noticeably warmer. This is one of the best places in the world to participate in great white shark diving, which takes place within a cage, but is a surefire way to get the adrenaline racing. There are good scuba diving hubs around the Western Cape coastline, including Hermanus, Mossel Bay, Knysna and Plettenberg Bay. This stretch of coastline has numerous shipwrecks, many of which have become excellent scuba diving sites.
The Eastern Cape is home to some exceptional wildlife national parks, and safaris are extremely popular here. The capital, Port Elizabeth, is a charming seaside destination, and is an excellent hub to start a diving holiday in South Africa. This part of the country enjoys the annual Sardine Run, which is an exceptional feat of nature for scuba divers to witness. Popular diving areas on the Eastern Cape include St Francis Bay, Port Alfred and East London.
KzaZulu Natal has very different diving conditions to further around the South African coastline. The waters are warmer, thanks to the Mozambique current that flows through this part of the Indian Ocean, bringing with it warm waters that allow tropical fish, typical to Indo-pacific regions to flourish. The area of Sodwana Bay has the most southern coral reefs in the world, and therefore it is extremely popular with scuba divers. Other renowned diving destinations include Durban, Margate and Umkomaas.
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Challenging dive sites
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