South Africa

If variety is the spice of life then a trip to the waters of South Africa is just the thing for divers looking for diverse underwater encounters

So, what’s new?
Not so long ago, South Africa was something of a no-go zone for European divers. For years, sanctions against apartheid meant that tourists were discouraged from visiting the country. Even in the early years of Mandela’s rule, it was seen as a difficult and unstable country. These days, affordable flights and a burgeoning tourist infrastructure mean that divers can get excellent value for money from South Africa.

And how’s the diving?
A week’s stay in South Africa offers an astonishing variety of diving. Wrecks, sharks, turtles and schooling fish await the diver who visits the nation’s three major dive destinations. Of these, the most popular is Sodwana Bay, where the dive sites are all named after their distance from the bay’s access point (Two Mile Reef, Four Mile Reef and so on). Two Mile Reef – the largest in the system – is famous for its large schools, particularly of yellowfin goatfish. Sodwana is probably the most colourful reef system in South Africa. We were stunned by the diversity and abundance of fish life we discovered – watch out for large potato groupers, which are often found close to reef overhangs.

For those in search of sharks, the long sandstone reef known as Protea Banks offers the chance of adrenalin-fuelled encounters. In winter, sand tiger sharks (known locally as ragged tooths, because of their trademark toothy grimace) descend on the reef as part of their mating ritual. Despite their appearance, they are not at all dangerous, but move around very slowly, mouths agape. In August, still more predators arrive for the infamous sardine run, when common dolphins, bull sharks (known in SA as Zambezi sharks, because of their habit of swimming into freshwater rivers) and birds converge on huge schools of Sardinops sagax. During our visit, intrepid dive guide Andy Cobb – of Eco Diving – drew the bull sharks in by dragging a metal lure behind him during a drift dive in which the group covered more than two miles in 40 minutes! It’s also possible to see schools of scalloped hammerheads cruising overhead.

The third of South Africa’s major diving centres is a submerged, rocky reef known as Aliwal Shoal. It’s 5km offshore, and you get an invigorating beginning to the day when you launch the RIB through the surf at Umkomaas river mouth. On the reef itself, you are likely to run into sharks, rays and dolphins. Coral growth is disappointing, but some surfaces are made colourful by clusters of golden cup corals. The shoal boasts two of South Africa’s most interesting wreck dives. We visited the Produce, which smashed into the reef in 1974 and lies in approximately 30m. It has been colonized by eels, corals, and reef fish, including large aggregations of colourful lyretail anthias. Another wreck, the Nebo, is home to a pair of sizeable brindle bass.

When should I go?
Conditions are highly variable at Sodwana and Aliwal Shoal but if you’re after sharks, the best time to visit is from August to November, although good diving is possible year-round. Visibility is affected by rain and run-off from the rivers, and with an average temperature of 22ºC we recommend 5mm wetsuits with hoods and gloves. Conditions at Protea Banks are highly variable, with visibility ranging anywhere between 10m and 40m. It’s slightly cooler than the other two sites, so anyone spending long periods here should consider using a 7mm semi-dry. To see raggies, visit when winter turns to spring. If you’re after bull sharks, a visit in August is probably your best bet, but we managed to see a lot of them in March.

South Africa offers a rich variety of experiences for the reasonably advanced diver. We think it’s an ideal destination for those who want something beyond the typical Red Sea experience, with the added frisson of ‘in your face’ shark encounters. And, of course, there’s a fourth major attraction in South Africa that we are saving for another report – the great white sharks of Dyer Island.

Our reporter’s itinerary was devised by South African Tourism (tel: 020 8971 9350; web site: www.south-african-tourism.org), which arranged the trip. Flights were provided by South African Airways. A number of British travel agents offer diving trips to South Africa, including Hayes and Jarvis (tel: 0870 9037737) and Mosaic Holidays (tel: 020 8574 4000). For those who prefer to travel independently contact Andy Cobb’s Eco Diving (web site: www.adventurescuba.co.za).