Marine life
Located at the southern tip of Africa, this great country has 54 million inhabitants, 11 official languages, 4 climates and an impressive variety of landscapes. In addition to these cultural and natural wealth, the 3 000 kilometers of coastline always offers beautiful encounters during your diving holiday. Sharks are numerous in South African waters; it is almost impossible to dive without noticing at least one. The ones who loves thrills will choose to dive trip to Mossel Bay, where you can shelter in a reinforced steel cage to watch Great White shark eating in front of your eyes. Further north, Kwazulu Natal park includes some of the best South African’s dive spots. Indeed, on this 7 km reef, you will be pleased to observe an exceptional and abundant wildlife: whales, turtles, dolphins, tiger shark and hammerhead sharks. In Sodwana Bay, you will swim with manta rays, whale sharks and even dolphins.
Best time for diving in South Africa
You can dive in South Africa all year around, but you should know that the best time to dive in Durban lasts from December to February. Also, to observe the migration of whales, September and October are the most favorable months and for the Sardine Run, the best period is from mid-June to mid-July.
Diving conditions
Water visibility is generally good on the South African coastline with an average of 15 to 40 meters.
Currents: Can be strong on some dive sites due to the encounter of the Atlantic Ocean to the Indian Ocean. However, there are many diving sites for beginners.
Difficulty: Southern Africa offers an interesting challenge for all confirmed and technical divers with drift dives, dives with large pelagic or very deep dives.
The water temperature in South Africa is quite low, ranging from 17 ° to 21 ° C.
What to see while diving?
You’ll understand that South Africa is the country of sharks and great migrations which promises extraordinary submarine encounters with more than 100 species of shark, 37 species of whales and hundreds of others species. Among these, the most popular among divers and underwater photographers : manta rays, eagle rays, dolphins, seals, penguins and colorful nudibranchs.
Sardine Run
For few years, South Africa has been offering a new type of scuba diving holiday around the phenomenon of the Sardine Run: huge shoals of millions of sardines who gather each year during their migration. This fish conglomerate is attacked in turn by gannets, seals, swordfish, sharks and dolphins. Another specialty of south Africa, seen in the documentary of the French diver Laurent Ballesta, the coelacanth. Some diving centers only offer this adventure to technical divers ready to get down to over 100 meters’ depth.
