A list of the best rated scuba dive sites in South Africa.

Sardine Run

The annual great Sardine Run is a natural phenomenon which usually occurs during the months of June and July, when massive schools of sardines migrate from the colder waters around the Cape to the warmer waters of Kwa-zulu Natal to give birth to their offspring. Once they've layed their eggs, they return to the Cape, closely followed by thousands of dolphins, birds, fish of prey, whales and sharks. The ocean awakes and the thrill is simply indescribable. In the olden days it was said that as...

Antons

Antons is the most popular of all dive sites at Sodwana Bay. Of the approximately 180.000 dives that are undertaken annually more than 30% are done at this site. This clearly puts paid to the myth that Sodwana is 'dived out' or that the divers have smashed all the coral. This dive site is the most south-western point of 2 mile reef. It has amazing topography with lots of caves and swimthroughs. It is covered in coral – both hard and soft with a huge patch of leather coral. Antons i...

Raggie Cave, Shark Alley

Raggies Cave and Shark Alley are two names for the same dive site described at this page. Raggies Cave is a large cave which is a meeting place for tens, maybe hundreds of ragged tooth sharks especially in winter, the shark season. It is a shallow dive site where divers often kneel on the sand and watch the sharks performing their daily tasks. Never enter the cave when the sharks are there as you might create an unpredicted situation that can provoke the sharks. These normally docile creatures w...

2 Mile Reef

Two mile reef is with over ten well known dive sites the best known dive location in Sodwana, maybe in all of South Africa. Cage diving with great white sharks being fed might be its biggest rival. 2 Mile reef is a two to three kilometers long reef with many interesting and diverse dive sites. It is popular because of its distance from the starting point, its size and depth are perfect and spectacular for all level of divers and shallow waters are known to house more soft and hard corals than de...

Aliwal Shoal

Aliwal Shoal is reached after a bumpy twenty minute boat ride from the Umkomaas Bridge at the Mkomanzi river entrance. She was named after a 19th century three masted vessel named Aliwal that almost collided with this submerged sandstone reef in 1849. Captain James Anderson informed other seafarers and ever since his ship was rewarded with the honour of naming a world famous reef. Geologically the shoal was formed 80.000 years ago when heavy rainfall washed away much of the sand until a solid sa...

Sodwana Bay

This bay situated in coastal dunes, has large wooden, luxury accommodations nestled in lush coastal vegetation. It is part of the greater St Lucia Wetland Park, near Durban, and is well preserved. All kinds of activities can be done here, including fishing, spotting turtles in summer and diving. The fish and coral diversity of Sodwana's coral reef is overwhelming. It has many type of corals which cannot be found elsewhere. For divers, Leven point is most often taken as a starting point. From th...

Cageless Baited Shark Diving

For true Galeocerdo cuvier fanatics, photographers, adrenalin junkies and thrill seekers we've got something very special: cageless baited Tiger Shark Diving, Snorkelling and Boat Trips. South Africa is one of only three countries in the world offering this kind of diving. Using a baiting technique that closely resembles the shark's natural feeding habit, African Dive Adventures lets divers as well as snorkellers and non-divers share in the experience."It is our aim to bring the Ti...

Gasmic Reef

Gasmic is characterised by a narrow gorge made up of dramatic walls. They are covered in hard & soft corals and teeming with fish life. The elusive horse fish is often spotter on this reef. A breath-taking dive!...

St. Croix Island

Stunning marine reserve characterized by caves, drop-offs, walls and gullies overgrown by soft corals, sponges and fans. A multitude of fish inhabit the waters, together with Jackass Penguins which feed vigorously on them. St. Croix is surrounded by two smaller islands, spectacularly beautiful which makes this trip worthwhile. The island itself is home to the jackass penguin and many other bird species....

Caves & Overhangs

Caves and Overhangs offer incredible coral formations consisting mostly of Plate and Staghorn corals, which together with the rocky substrate, form numerous small caves and swim-throughs. The marine life is abundant, and almost anything can be seen which makes this dive site a very dynamic and colourful dive....