SCUBA DIVING IN SOUTH AFRICA: BEST SHARKS SCUBA DIVES – DIVERS’ REVIEWS South Africa is very popular for its shark dives, safaris to dive with great white sharks, bull sharks and hammerheads. Cage scuba diving is possible on the Western Cape. South Africa has 40 species of marine mammals including dolphins, whales and seals.

1. SCUBA DIVING IN SOUTH AFRICA
• INTRODUCTION & CLIMATE
• KWAZULU-NATAL, INDIAN OCEAN SCUBA DIVING
• WESTERN CAPE, CAGE DIVE WITH THE GREAT WHITE
SHARK
• DIVE OPERATORS LISTED IN MALDIVES
• ABOUT THE AUTHOR
1

2. SCUBA DIVING IN SOUTH AFRICA: BEST
SHARKS SCUBA DIVES
South Africa is very popular for its shark dives, safaris to dive with great white
sharks, bull sharks and hammerheads.
Cage scuba diving is possible on the Western Cape.
South Africa has 40 species of marine mammals including dolphins, whales and
seals.
CLIMATE
South Africa has a higher elevation than in other nations in similar latitudes so
temperatures can get low (winter registers temperatures below zero degrees).
Best time to dive is between
2

3. KWAZULU-NATAL, INDIAN OCEAN SCUBA
DIVING
The KwaZulu-Natal province, known as the Zulu Kingdom, has a long shoreline on
the Indian Ocean. It has several reserves where there is year-round dolphin
watching.
Whale watching is best between June and November, where you can even find the
southern right whale.
Sodwana Bay is one of the best scuba sites in South Africa. Part of the Greater St.
Lucia Wetlands Park, water temperature in Sodwana goes from 62.2°F to
75.2°F (19°C to 24°C) and visibility is more than 50 ft. in the 10 diving sitesto
choose from. Quarter Mile is a good site for dives where sometimes ragged
tooth sharks can be seen.
Durban, the second largest city in South Africa, has several wrecks, the
Fontano, sunk in 1990 to create an artificial reef, is a standout.
The Birthday Ledges has an interesting cave with lots of life hidden in the crevices:
blue stingrays and frogfish can be spotted here.
3

4. It is recommended that you bring a flash light. Durban is a vibrant city, with
shopping, fine dining and many cultural activities. Close to Durban, in the
Greater St. Lucia Wetland Park, you may go on safaris to watch elephants and
rhinos.
Aliwal Shoal, named one of the 10 best dive sites in the world by DIVERS
magazine, is very good for sharks, specially the ragged tooth shark, since it
overwinters here.
Tiger sharks and hammerheads are regulars in the winter. At the Protea Banks
you can swim with big schools of sharks. The sardine run in August is another
attraction here as it attracts predators such as barracuda, sailfish and wahoo.
Drakensberg National Park is a World Heritage Site that offers incredible
hikes, it is the tallest mountain range in South Africa.
4

5. WESTERN CAPE, CAGE DIVE WITH THE
GREAT WHITE SHARK
The Western Cape province is the southernmost region of the African continent and has Cape
Town as its capital. The famous Table Mountains are the background of a dive area known for
its wrecks, kelp forest and cage diving with the great white sharks.
The great white shark is a protected species in South Africa and cage diving almost certainly
guarantees you will see one.
You can dive around Cape Town year round. It has the Atlantic Ocean to the west (better
during the summer months) and the Indian Ocean on the east.
The Cape Peninsula has been declared a Protected Area, and you need a SCUBA permit before
you go diving in these waters. Some branches of the postal service sell one-year permits, for a
month-long permit, dive centers are the best bet.
Since it is situated on a peninsula, the Western Cape has two main zones for diving: the
Atlantic Seaboard and False Bay. T
he water temperature varies as much as 50°F (10°C) from side to side depending on the
wind, so it´s important that you check weather conditions with your operator.
Cape Town has 21 different dive sites for all level divers.
5

6. Castle Rocks is a good site, it´s beach dive and the coastal drive is really beautiful. Red
romans, and South Africa’s national fish, the galjoen can be spotted here, together with
gully sharks, soupfin sharks and sometimes dusky sharks. It´s one of the best shore dives in
the Peninsula.
From Hout Bay you may access the amazing Oakburn wreck, a British cargo steamer that
sunk in 1906. The wreck is so unique because in 1994 The Boss, a crane barge, snapped it´s
towline and landed right on top of the Oakburn.
Many of the artifacts that the Oakburn was carrying, such as railroad lines are still laying
around. Gansbaai is another good area for diving known for its dense population of great
white sharks.
6

7. OTHER INFORMATION
DIVE CENTERS LISTED IN SOUTH AFRICA
Africa Dive Adventures / C-Quest Diving Safaris / Off Shore Africa / Paradise
divers / Shark Explorers / Umkomaas Lodge and Dive Charters /
More Information about Scuba Diving in SOUTH AFRICA
To find & book an hotel recommended by our Dive Operators:
http://www.ediving.com/hotels-for-scuba-divers/
To contact us:
contact@ediving.com
To register your Dive Operation on Ediving (Full Business Listing is FREE):
7

8. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Thomas SACCONE is a former
financial manager who discovered
scuba diving in Costa Rica in 2007.
Since then, he is only satisfied
when underwater.
8