South Africa & Mozambique

InDepth: South Africa and Mozambique
Gavin Anderson takes a closer look at diving in south Africa and Mozambique

Photo: Gavin Anderson Photo: Gavin Anderson Photo: Gavin Anderson Photo: Gavin Anderson Photo: Gavin Anderson

If you’re looking for some real adrenalin diving with impressive underwater creatures – great whites, big bull sharks (known as Zambezis in South Africa), whale sharks, loads of mantas and even the odd humpback whale – look no further because South Africa and Mozambique are the places to go.

But there is more than just big creatures here. There are beautiful coral reefs; excellent cold-water diving through kelp forests, wrecks and around spectacular pinnacles; and one of the most amazing natural shows on earth – the sardine run.

Two oceans meet along South Africa’s coastline, the warm Indian and the much colder Atlantic. The east coast is washed by the south-moving Agulhas current that flows down from Mozambique, while the much colder Benguela current brings icy water from the polar region as it heads northwards up the country’s west coast. The oceans are said to meet around the Cape, but in truth the colder water tends to wash right up the Eastern Cape towards KwaZulu Natal. This is because the fast flowing Agulhas current tends to follow the continental shelf, which is relatively narrow along the KwaZulu Natal coast but widens as it reaches the Eastern Cape. It is thought that the sardines use this counter-current as they head north on their annual pilgrimage.

South Africa has some of the world’s most amazing topside scenery and wildlife. It’s no wonder the locals call it ‘God’s country’.

One of the biggest bonuses of a dive holiday in South Africa is the time difference from the UK, which is only one or two hours depending on the time of year, which means no jet lag. There are many other advantages. Once you are in the country, the local currency, the rand, goes a long way. Accommodation and diving are relatively cheap – especially if you book direct – and you’ll find the people friendly and standards high. English is the main language and the food is terrific.

The only problem with planning a dive trip to this part of the world is deciding where to go. To explore the whole South African coastline and Mozambique could take you several months – maybe even a year! Working out how much you can explore in the time you have available is vital.

Protea Banks and Aliwal Shoal make a good week’s holiday, as does Mozambique, although ten days here would be ideal. If you want to visit both destinations, it would be best to plan for two weeks. Many people include a few days at Sodwana, two and half hours north of Durban. Some prefer to spend an extra five days’ cage diving down at the Cape, while others save some time for a safari in the Kruger National Park.

There is also some beautiful diving to be had off the Garden Route and Eastern Cape, and drysuit lovers can indulge themselves on the wrecks and kelp of False Bay and the Western Cape.

Extending from Mossel Bay to the Tsikamma National Park, taking in the resort towns of Plettenberg Bay and Knysna, the area known as the Garden Route offers the visitor stunning scenery. There are beautiful sandy beaches, sheer cliffs and pretty forests, and also one or two wonderful dive sites. The warm Agulhus and cold Benguela currents meet at the Cape, and the water temperatures here are affected by both. The result is some unique marine life. Don’t expect stunning visibility and loads of fish. However, for a seasoned diver looking for something different, this place is definitely worth at least a side trip.

At Knysna there is a sea horse found nowhere else in the world. Known as the Knysna sea horse, it can be found in the Knysna lagoon, often just off Thesens jetty. The lagoon is protected by the National Parks board whose offices are also on the jetty. The wreck of the Paquita makes an interesting dive. Sunk in October 1903, it can be found at the head of the lagoon.

Two and half kilometres out of Knysna is Bruce’s Bank. A reef rising up from 30m to just below the surface, in the form of two pinnacles, this offers a spectacular dive among huge cauliflower corals, sponges and basket stars. Many small fish hide out in the nooks and crannies, and pyjama sharks can often be found sleeping in crevices.Plettenberg Bay offers some equally good dives, with Virgin reef and Groot Bank standing out as the two best sites.

The Eastern Cape

Diving around the Eastern Cape is a little like diving some of the very best parts of the UK: the water is cold, the visibility variable, but on a good day the scenery and colours are spectacular. There are seals, shipwrecks, lobsters, crabs and crayfish. And the area is covered with colourful sponges, anemones, sea squirts and kelp. However, one creature adds a little spice to diving – the great white shark.

Some of the best cage-diving encounters occur at Dyer Island, 4km from the small town of Gansbaai, 167km east of Cape Town. Cape fur seals run a daily gauntlet here between two small islands.

Once you’ve had your fill of great whites you might fancy diving some of the Cape’s many wrecks. The best intact wrecks can be found in the middle of Smitswinkel Bay. Here, in the early 1970s, the South African Navy scuttled two frigates, a diamond dredger and two fishing trawlers. Today they are covered with yellow, pink and purple soft corals, anemones, sponges and sea fans. There are plenty fish living on the wrecks and if you’re lucky you might see an ocean sunfish (Mola mola).

Other Cape sites worth a mention include Outer Castle and Whittle Rock, which offer good encounters with rays and sharks. Partridge Point is home to a colony of friendly seals, and Vulcan Rock is a large pinnacle that rises from 40m to 5m, complete with an underwater tunnel.

When to go
The Sardine Run takes place in June. Diving around the Garden Route is best from May to September and in December and January. The Cape has good diving all year round.
Temperatures range between 14 and 16ºC in summer and 10ºC in winter. Visibility ranges from 5m to occasionally 20m.

Equipment
Wear a 7mm semi-drysuit at Plettenberg and the Garden Route and a drysuit on the Eastern Cape.

Marine life
Great whites can be seen all year round.

Key Dives
Wild Coast: Sardine Run
Dyer Island: great white sharks

READERS VERDICT

MICHAELA ISEPPI
Experienced Diver

‘I’ve dived the wrecks of Switswinkel Bay several times. There are five wrecks in the Bay, and if you’re quick you can dive three of them in one dive, which is awesome. The fish life is good and there are lots of nudibranchs, in fact, this is a fantastic place for nudibranchs – they are everywhere. My favourite wrecks are the Oratava and the Princess Elizabeth. The average depth is 35m and these wrecks loom out of the gloom like ghost ships. The fact that great white sharks are not far away just adds to the atmosphere.’

For many years Sodwana Bay was synonymous with big-game fishing, but today it has become a magnet for divers. It is considered to offer world-class diving, but it is under pressure from the numbers who come here, particularly at the weekends. A string of rocky reefs, known as Quarter Mile, Two-Mile, Five-Mile and Seven-Mile, still support stunning soft corals and many tropical reef fish. Depths on the reef vary from 12 to 36m, strong currents are rare and the visibility is excellent, as there are no nearby rivers flowing into the sea.

Divers stay in a variety of accommodation, from basic tents in a campsite, to the comfortable chalets of Sodwana Bay Lodge. Diving is from RIBs launched through the surf. Surf launches are exciting but on rare occasions can be dangerous, especially if you have an inexperienced skipper at the helm.

After Sodwana, Aliwal Shoal and Protea Banks are considered the next most popular dive destinations. They lie 80km apart, some 20km south of Durban. Both sites are basically ancient, fossilised sand dunes, located some 5km offshore. Caves, gullies and overhangs covered in colourful sponges, hard corals and stunted purple and pink soft corals offer sanctuary to a fascinating mixture of tropical species, such as Moorish Idols, anthias, goatfish, morays and damsels. In the spring, vast numbers of sand tiger sharks (known locally as ragged-tooth sharks) are added to the mix.

The raggies, as they are affectionately known, gather all along the coast of Natal from July until the end of November and have just one intention – to mate. At times, there are so many of these sharks that they literally lie one on top of the other as they shelter in the Banks’ caves and ledges. Aliwal’s Raggie Cave and The Cathedral are two of the most popular places to spot them, as they are particularly scenic sites. When full of fantastic dives.

Although most sand tiger sharks are not aggressive, some have been known to chase divers who have harassed them – it is important to keep a safe distance while they are resting in the caves.

Protea and Aliwal are really dive sites for all seasons. During the summer, particularly on Protea with its stronger currents, loads of game fish move in, and with the game fish come the sharks. Scalloped and greater hammerheads, bulls, coppers, black-tips, bronze whalers, duskies, guitar, tiger and even great white sharks have all been encountered here. And while the shark activity is most prolific through the summer months, after the game fish move away for a few weeks in June they are replaced with huge shoals of sardines.

I have never had a bad dive on Protea – on nearly every dive I’ve done there I’ve seen big bull sharks, scalloped hammerheads and guitar sharks, along with huge ribbontail rays and even the odd manta. You just never know what might show up. The dive depends on which way the current is running: when conditions are right, you can drift over a huge distance covering more than one area. Northern Pinnacles to Sand Shark Alley is my favourite route.

A word of caution, however. Protea is a deep dive in current, with much of the dive spent around or deeper than 30m. The surf launch (from the tourist town of Margate) and ride out to the Banks can be an energy sapping experience.

This dive is not for the faint-hearted! Make sure you ride and dive with an experienced skipper/guide. I can recommend Trevor Krull, former owner of African Dive Adventures and now running African Odyssea. His wealth of experience on Protea is invaluable and his safety record is exemplary.

While Protea is famed for its sharks, Aliwal is known for its variety. Along with the regular tropical species, turtles and mantas are often encountered. Aliwal also has a couple of wrecks, the Produce, which sank in 1974, and the Nebo, in 1884. Both are excellent dives.

While visibility on Protea is often good the visibility on Aliwal can be affected by run-off from the Mkomazi river and effluent from the nearby pulp-processing mill.

When to go
All year round. May to November is more pleasant, with air temperatures around 25ºC. It can become very hot in the summer months from November to April, when temperatures can reach the high 38ºC. The water temperature never falls much below 18 or 19ºC and the average is around 23ºC. Visibility is best in the winter months of December to June.

Marine life
Best to go in July for sand tiger sharks. General shark diving is best from December to June, but is fairly good all year round.

Equipment
A 5mm wetsuit is ideal

Key Dives
Aliwal Shoal: the wrecks of the Nebo and the Produce are superb; and the Cathedral is a winner when sand tiger sharks are resident.
Protea Banks: both the Northern and Southern Pinnacles are full of life and are fantastic dives.

The Wild Coast
Lying between Port Edward in the north and Port Elizabeth in the south, the area called the wild coast is vast and largely inaccessible, and therefore dived rarely. The water is still warm here, but the visibility inshore is often poor. However, during June this stretch of coastline has become a popular destination. It’s here that much of the annual sardine run takes place. A cast of characters that includes an aerial aerobatics team of thousands of gannets, millions of sardines, thousands of dolphins and sharks, and even the odd humpback whale, make this show a must-see.

READER VERDICT
SAMUEL KEMP, Experienced Diver
‘Some of the best dives I have ever had have been on Protea Banks, which is famous for its bull sharks. The adrenalin really pumps as the ripping current takes you over the reef, with the chance to see more than half a dozen different shark species on one dive. The memory of eight bulls swimming up to meet me as I descended, will remain with me forever. Aliwal Shoal is another world-class dive site. Conditions can be variable, but if you catch them right, you will have some truly stunning dives, packed with a plethora of life from tiny nudibranchs to large tiger sharks. Both are well worth the trip.’

Mozambique offers world-class diving along 3,000km of seemingly endless coastline. Much of the coast remains unexplored and adventurous travellers are being rewarded with some truly unforgettable experiences.

The country is situated on the east coast of Africa, bordered by South Africa and Swaziland to the south, Zimbabwe to the west, and Zambia, Malawi and Tanzania to the north.

Located in the Tropics, Mozambique’s weather is warm and humid, especially during the summer months – October to April – when it can become uncomfortably so. A good time to visit is during the winter months of May to September, when the air is cooler and the water still warm.

This former Portuguese colony gained independence in 1975 but was then caught up in a bloody 17-year civil war, which eventually took it from being one of Africa’s richest countries, to one of its poorest by the time the country gained peace in 1992. Despite the setbacks of recent floods and droughts, Mozambique is recovering as fast as it declined and it now has one of Africa’s fastest-developing economies.

Following the war, much of the early diving centred around Ponto D’Oro and Ponto Malangane, located close to the border with South Africa. The small motel and tented camps that quickly sprang up continue to host visiting South Africans and overseas tourist alike. Sites such as the Pinnacles once attracted many sharks. That was until the Taiwanese long-liners moved in. Dive sites are reached via RIBs launched through the surf. The surf launches in Mozambique are usually less dramatic and less energy-sapping than those that take place in South Africa.

Bass City, one of the most popular dive sites, is named after the friendly potato bass, and Three Sisters is a stunning dive on which you will find a beautiful archway covered with soft corals. As with nearly all of the Mozambique coast, whale sharks are common here between November and May.

Several hundred kilometres to the north, off Inhambane, some of the best diving in Mozambique can be found. Inhambane was where Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama first came ashore in Mozambique some 500 years ago. Back then, he called the place ‘Land of the Gentle People’. You’ll find the people are still both gentle and friendly – as long as you don’t point a camera at them!

Manta Reef, some 20km from Tofo beach and just 12km from Guinjata Bay, is a world-class dive site. It is centred round two amphitheatres, which play host to just about every fish you would want to see, from schools of colourful big-eyes, grunts and goatfish to squadrons of devil rays, barracuda and, of course, mantas. The latter are virtually guaranteed as these are some of their favourite cleaning stations. Other popular sites for mantas include the Office, where you may also find shark activity if you’re lucky; and Paindane, a beautiful drift dive over spectacular corals and vast numbers of fish, rays and sharks. Sadly, Paindane is popular with the fishermen too. Sherwood Forest, named after the masses of green coral trees to be found there, is also well worth a look.

Accommodation is in a variety of well-appointed lodges situated between 10–20km from town, usually reached via dirt roads. To get to Inhambane you can drive overland but it is best to fly in from South Africa, either from Lanseria near Johannesburg, or Nelspruit, which is close to the Kruger National Park – this makes a great stopover if you fancy seeing Africa’s topside big five.

Around 180km north from Inhambane lies Pomene, where the diving is equally spectacular but the accommodation standards are not so hot. The reefs of Zambia and Sylvia Banks rise from the depths of more than 40m to a shallow 6m, and attract swarms of tropical fish, which in turn attract game fish such as marlin, sailfish and giant kingfish. Mantas and whale sharks are also common here.

Still further north is the Bazaruto Archipelago, a string of beautiful islands that offer the quintessential tropical holiday, in five-star accommodation on palm-tree-shaded beaches. The scenery is stunning and the diving isn’t bad either. The northern reefs of Bazaruto, Rainbow Runner and Twelve Mile Reef are both great for game fish sightings. Off Benguerra Island, Two, Five and Six-Mile Reefs are all good. Two-Mile offers some amazing snorkelling, while at Kingfish Alley (The Gap) you can sometimes spot dugongs.

Wherever you dive in Mozambique you are bound to find something special. Much of the coast remains unexplored, and now is the time to visit.

When to go
All year round. Between May and November the air temperature is in the more pleasant mid-20ºC range. It can become very hot and humid in the summer months between November and April, when temperatures can reach as high as 40°C. The water temperature never falls below 21°C ,and averages around 24°C.

Equipment
A 5mm wetsuit is ideal.

Marine life
Best to go between November and May for whale sharks. Humpback whales can be seen from June to September.

Key Dives

• Manta Reef and the Office: big manta cleaning stations
• Zambia: sharks and game fish
• Paindane: drift dive with whale sharks, guitar, black-tip and reef sharks.

READERS VERDICT
JAN REYNIERS, Experienced Diver
‘After more than 1,500 dives all over the world, Mozambique went from unlisted, to the top three in my book. On one dive I drifted along a slope and had a feeling there was something there. I looked up and, just behind me, very close, were two magnificent whale sharks. At Paindane Express I went from excitement to ecstasy as I saw both white-spotted and bowmouth guitarfish, zebra shark, dolphins, a huge grouper and, to round off the dive in style, a very friendly whale shark. Things got even better when we dived Manta Reef. This place really makes you feel at one with nature, especially when you look into the eyes of a massive manta, then at a squadron of mobula flying over you on their way to distant places – then you smile and know what diving is all about.’