Best Tropical Diving in South Africa

1. Sodwana : This is the most popular diving spot on the North Coast, and for good reason. There is a great number of reefs to explore ranging from really easy to pretty challenging with an abundance of tropical reef fish, pelagics and the occassional whale, shark and whale shark (especially between October and February). The area also has a really cool chilled out vibe to it. Only downside to diving in these parts is that you have to launch through oftentimes choppy waves and most operators use small “rubber duck” inflatable boats which can take it out of you a bit, but the diving more than makes up for it.

2. Mabibi : Very close to Sodwana and only a little further north on the tropical, humid Indian Ocean coastline in the far north of South Africa. The area is less mainstream than Sodwana and has a quieter more exclusive feel to it. Most diving is along coral reefs with a great variety of hard and soft coral species. Along with the usual reef fish you can see ragged tooth sharks, whales and whale sharks.

3. Mozambique : we highly recommend considering Mozambique as an add-on country to South Africa for any passionate diver - and ideally heading to destinations further north in Moz than just Ponto de Ouro (which is just across from the SA border). Not only does it add a really great exotic flavour with its Portuguese heritage, but the country also has some of the best diving in Southern Africa. The Bazaruto archipelago has been a protected area since the 1970s and has frequent sightings of dolphins, turtle, dugongs and whales and mantas. Other areas in Moz that are worth considering is Inhambane (they’ve got a decent airport too) which is bang in the middle of the humpback whale migration route and the less explored Quirimbas Archipelago in northern Moz with its 27 beautifully unspoiled tropical islands where you can expect to see dugongs, sharks, whales and reef fish in the expansive coral reefs.

4. Aliwal Shoal : Back in South Africa, this popular site is best known for “shark alley” and its rich population of ragged tooth sharks, hammerheads and tiger sharks. The launch is very similar to Sodwana, on an inflatable RIB through the surf but the ride out to the site is a little longer (about 20mins).

5. Sardine Run : One of the greatest migrations of any animal in the world, the annual sardine run is a true natural spectacle that occurs around June and July when massive schools of sardines migrate north along the Indian Ocean coast. Dives are quite shallow (5m to 7m) to see dolphins, whales, sharks, sea birds and fish of prey taking part in this feeding frenzy. This isn’t the easiest or cheapest dive as operators have to constantly adapt depending on where the large schools are and often use helicopters to spot the shoals from the sky to coordinate with the boat crews, but it is truly unforgettable.

Keen to take the plunge and get some diving booked in South Africa? Send us a message now , and one of our travel experts would be happy to share some free tips and advice to make your trip unforgettable. We could even take all the headache out of planning a trip. Once we’ve designed your dream itinerary we’d be happy to help book and finalise everything so you just have to show up and enjoy the trip of a lifetime.