Dive Africa

See Gavin Parsons' article on diving Mozambique and South African safari which appeared in Diver magazine November 2007

The waters off the east coast of South Africa and Mozambique are rich in marine life. From Whale sharks to the smallest cleaner shrimp, there is something to interest everyone. The reefs are home to a variety of hard and soft corals, making a colourful backdrop to all kinds of animals. Depths range from a few metres to 35 metres plus.

The Cape seas are cooler and will seem familiar to British divers, except here you may encounter the odd Great White shark! Off Durban the temperature increases and life changes to semi-tropical with a diverse range of reef fish, together with large predators and plankton-eaters. Further north, the reefs of Sodwana Bay and Mozambique are truly tropical with great shoals of colourful fish and larger animals such as turtles and mantas being common-place. Diving in southern Africa has been slower to start than in other places, with the consequence that the reefs are in good condition and the variety and density of life is prolific.

Our dive sites: click on the links below to go directly to a country or specific site, or use the buttons at the top left of this page

South Africa:

Gansbaai and Cape Town

Aliwal Shoal

Protea Banks

Sodwana Bay

Mozambique:

Inhambane

Pomene

Vilanculos

Quirimbas

Sharks

Sharks are without doubt the most evolved predators in the ocean. With over 400 species of sharks worldwide, of which over 120 are found off the coasts of Mozambique and South Africa, these fascinating apex predators are definitely one of the most exciting sights you will see underwater.

Click on the link below to go directly to the relevant page for diving with these amazing animals:

Great White Shark (cage diving), Gansbaai
Whale Shark, Inhambane
Tiger Shark, Aliwal Shoal
Hammerhead, Protea Banks
Zambezi Shark, Protea Banks
Ragged-tooth Shark, Protea Banks
Zebra Shark, Inhambane
The Sardine Run

Boat launching and recovery

South African boat launching and recovery is like no other: the surf launches are unique and exciting activities in themselves.

The boat is off-loaded onto the beach and all divers help to push the bow to face the sea. The boat is then pushed into the shallows and held off until the skipper has started the engine and invites everyone on board. The divers slip their feet into boot straps on the floor of the boat and hang on whilst the skipper negotiates the waves. Life jackets are often mandatory until the surf is cleared. Sometimes it may be necessary to 'punch' a wave – always look forward to see what the sea is doing to avoid any wet surprises.

On return to shore, the skipper simply drives the boat onto the beach - and this means literally up the beach. Hold on tight or expect to be ejected when the hull hits the sand!

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