Diving in South Africa

Aliwal Shoal and Protea Banks: sharks close to shore all year and the sardine run in June and July

1 resort at this destination

South Africa — diving Aliwal Shoal at Umkomaas: tiger and bull sharks, the Cathedral, Protea Banks, the sardine run in June and July. Dive resorts, prices and seasons.

Why divers come here

Aliwal Shoal — a fossilised dune five kilometres offshore and one of the most reliable shark reefs on earth
Tiger sharks from January to June and bull sharks almost all year
The Cathedral — the reef's signature site, where sharks gather in the gullies
The sardine run in June and July: billions of sardines head north, followed by sharks, dolphins, gannets and whales
Protea Banks to the south — a deeper reef with hammerheads and copper sharks
The Produce and Nebo wrecks right on Aliwal Shoal

What you'll meet underwater

Tiger sharks (January to June)

Bull (Zambezi) sharks almost year-round

Oceanic blacktips and copper sharks

Hammerheads at Protea Banks

Humpback whales from June to November

Bottlenose and common dolphins

Turtles, rays, moray eels

The sardine run with its gannets and Bryde's whales

Photos: credits and licences

Practical information

Best season: Diving all year. Tiger sharks from January to June, bull sharks almost year-round, clearest water from April to September.
The sardine run moves up the KwaZulu-Natal coast in June and July, with different dates every year
Water temperature: 19–26 °C
Visibility: 8–30 m
Wetsuit: 5 mm year-round, 7 mm or a semi-dry in winter, from June to September
Experience level: Advanced and confident experience: surf launches in an inflatable, open-water dives, depths of 18–30 metres, current and swell.
A beginner will struggle here
Getting there: There are no direct flights from Russia.
Fly to Johannesburg (JNB) via Istanbul, Dubai, Doha or Addis Ababa, then a domestic flight to Durban (DUR) of about an hour.
Umkomaas is roughly an hour by road from Durban airport.
Many people hire a car: the KwaZulu-Natal coast is easy to drive yourself.
Airports: Durban, King Shaka (DUR) — closest to Aliwal Shoal, Johannesburg (JNB) — the main connection, Cape Town (CPT)
Visa: Russian citizens need no visa: entry on a passport for up to 90 days.
The passport must be valid for 30 days beyond departure and have two blank pages.
A return ticket is required.
Climate: Subtropical on the east coast, air 18–30 °C, summer from December to February, rain in summer
Currency: South African rand (ZAR)
Language: Twelve official languages
English, Zulu and Afrikaans are used along the KwaZulu-Natal coast
Time zone: UTC+2