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Best Diving Peninsula Valdes Argentina

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Punta Loma Sea Lion - Peninsula Valdes, Argentina
Punta Loma Sea Lion – Peninsula Valdes, Argentina

Updated August 7, 2022

This is the one hundred and eighty-eighth in a series of reviews of the best diving destinations around the world.  In this post, the focus is on Peninsula Valdes, Argentina. In addition to this series on diving destinations, the best worldwide liveaboard diving locations and services are reviewed in their own series.  To check them out, or others in this series, click on Liveaboards/Resorts on the menu at the top and choose a title from the list.

Have you ever been scuba diving in Peninsula Valdes before?  If so, I’d love to know about your experience.  What dive shop or liveaboard did you use?  Which dive spots are the best and what are the conditions there regarding the visibility, current, water temperature, sealife attractions, etc.?  Please post your response in the comments section at the bottom and we’ll all learn something we can use.

Diving Peninsula Valdes Argentina

Background

Peninsula Valdes is situated in Chubut Province on the northeast coast of Patagonia.  Connected to the mainland only by the 5-kilometer (3.15-mile) wide Isthmus of Carlos Ameghino, the peninsula has an area of 3,625 km2 (1,400 square miles).

Barren with several salt lakes below sea level, the semi-arid landmass is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site created in 1999.  The only settlement is a small one at Puerto Piramedes with a number of sheep ranches (estancias) filling out the population of the peninsula.

The big attraction is the wildlife which includes dolphins, southern sea lions, elephant seals, and 181 species of birds of which 66 are migratory.  Other major migratory creatures are southern right whales, Magellanic penguins, and orcas.

The major gateway to Peninsula Valdes is the 95,000-strong metropolis of Puerto Madryn on the mainland.  Eco-tourism and the seaside have created a major tourist business for the city to go along with fishing and the Aluar aluminum refinery as economic drivers.

First settled by the Welsh in 1865, there are still Welsh-flavored towns nearby in Trelew and Gaiman.

Peninsula Valdes Map

Undersea World

There are shallow reefs along the beaches of Peninsula Valdes inside and outside the gulfs, with a variety of plants, marine life, rock formations, caves, caverns, and even a few wrecks.

Most diving is aimed, however, at getting close to some of the megafauna and migratory marine life outlined above.

The easiest to target are the sea lions at Punta Loma and Punta Ameghino within easy range of the dive shops in Puerto Madryn.  There is a no-touch rule but the sea lions often approach divers and make contact, especially juveniles, who are curious and playful.  Boat tours are available which often include snorkeling and shore opportunities to get close to Magellanic penguins.  Seasonally the tours adjust to which of the animals are most prevalent.

Seasons and Conditions

Diving is possible all year in the Peninsula Valdes area.  From June to December southern right whales migrate to the region peaking in October.  Magellanic penguins are most prominent from October to March with 500,000 to be seen.  Sea lions birth in December and January and elephant seals in October.  Orcas are often seen in March to take advantage of the sea lion pups near the shoreline at that time.

  • Air temperature average daily highs range from 27°C (81°F) in January to 13°C (55°F) in June and July.
  • The water temperature hits highs of 18°C (64°F) in February and lows of 13°C (55°F) in August.  Most divers will want a drysuit with a hood and gloves all year.  Some operators offer two layers of wetsuits to do the job.
  • It rains only 172.8 mm (6.8 inches) per year, so precipitation is not often a factor.
  • Currents are minimal inside the gulf.
  • Visibility is considered pretty good generally, with a decrease during plankton blooms in summer.

There are sites suitable for all levels of diver with most of the dives shallow.  Around a dozen dive shops operate in the Puerto Madryn area.  Diving classes, equipment rental, guiding, and boat cruises are available.

For information on cold water scuba gear, please check my post:

Argentina Liveaboards

No liveaboard yachts currently cruise Peninsula Valdes dive sites.  There are two excellent vessels doing scuba diving safaris to relatively nearby Antarctica.  Please check out my review and links to the boats below:

MV Plancius - Antarctica Liveaboard Scuba Diving

MV Plancius, Antarctica Liveaboard Diving – Check the Price & Details

Ortelius - Antarctica Liveaboard Scuba Diving

Ortelius, Antarctica Liveaboard Diving – Check the Price & Details

Puerto Madryn Lodging, Transportation, and Dive Shops

Transportation

  • Air – Located 10 minutes northwest of the city center, El Tehuelche Airport connects several times a week with Buenos Aires on Andes Airlines and to several other domestic airports.  No shuttle or public bus services are currently in place for transport to town.  Reasonably priced taxis are available.
  • Bus – There is a long-distance bus service connecting to Buenos Aires, Rio Gallegos, and Mar del Plata.
  • City bus service and numerous taxis are available in Puerto Madryn.
  • Rental cars are reasonably priced.
  • Tours are available to many of the popular sights.

For further details on transportation and tourist information, please check Wikitravel-Puerto Madryn.

Lodging and Dive Shops

There are a dozen or more dive shops in Puerto Madryn in operation that offer full services including equipment rental, dive courses, guiding, and boat dive cruises.  Lodging options in Puerto Madryn start at $85 per night.

The website linked below has the details and can arrange the booking for accommodations.  You can easily find the location on the map provided on this site.  Their rates are guaranteed to be the lowest and it is free to cancel or change dates.

Things to do in Puerto Madryn and Peninsula Valdes (aside from scuba diving)

The unique array of natural scenery, animals, and activities are the main attractions, but there are also many interesting cultural and civilizational features to enjoy, as well.  Here is a short list of some of the highlights to look into:

Whale Watching, Diving and Snorkeling with Sea Lions, Ecocentro Madryn (maritime museum), Penguins, Visit an Estancia (ranch), Dolphins, Peninsula Valdes, and Puerto Pyramides, Loberia de Punta Loma Nature Reserve, Restaurants, Bars, & Clubs. Elephant Seals, Trelew and Gaiman (small Welsh towns), Kayaking, Horseback Riding, Mountain Biking, Museum of Paleontology Egidio Feruglio, National Science and Oceanographic Museum, Playa Parana, El Doradillo Beach, Monument Al Indio Tehuelche.

This short video displays many of the top attractions in and around Puerto Madryn and Peninsula Valdes.

Photography in Puerto Madryn and Peninsula Valdes, Argentina

With the interesting undersea terrain, plants, variety of fish, sea lions, elephant seals, penguins, whales, dolphins, scenic beaches, and city sights, there are many excellent photo opportunities.  For information and reviews of dive cameras, click here:

Scuba Diving Trip Insurance

A cushion for emergencies provides peace of mind when on vacation.  I recommend this diving insurance as they have worldwide coverage and provide scuba divers quality insurance and medical assistance service.

Feedback and Comments

I hope you found this post on scuba diving in Peninsula Valdes, Argentina interesting and useful. If you have any questions or ideas, please feel free to share them in the comments section.  I’d love to know of any experience you have.  If there is no comments section directly below, click here:  >>comments<<

Best Panglao Island Scuba Diving Philippines

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Cabilao Island Hawksbill Turtle Philippines Scuba Diving
Cabilao Island Hawksbill Turtle

Updated May 1, 2022

Are you looking for your dream dive vacation? This is the eighth in a series of reviews of the best dive resort locations around the world.  In this post, the focus will be on Panglao Island in Bohol, Philippines.

In addition to this series on dive resort locations, the best worldwide liveaboard dive locations and services are reviewed in their own series.  To check them out, or others in this series, click on Liveaboards / Resorts on the menu at the top and choose a title from the list.

Have you ever been diving on Panglao Island before?  If so, I’d love to know about your experience.  What dive shop or liveaboard did you use?  Which dive spots are the best and what are the conditions there regarding the visibility, current, water temperature, sealife attractions, etc.?  Please post your response in the comments section at the bottom and we’ll all learn something we can use.

Panglao Island Scuba Diving

Background

Panglao Island is located on the southern tip of Bohol Province in the Philippines.  Resort scuba diving has been steadily developing there for the last 30 years. Today there are dozens of hotels of all levels around the island, but the beautiful shoreline on the eastern side around Alona Beach is the most advanced resort area.

Panglao is in a centralized location for going to other outstanding dive destinations including Cabilao and Balicasag Islands.  In addition, excursions can be easily arranged to the Chocolate Hills and other land-based natural areas with attractions like the tarsier.

For an overview of the history, geography, and culture in Bohol, please click on this link:  Bohol Information

Undersea World

There is great biodiversity with outstanding macro life for the photographer or marine biologist, and a lot of reef fish, pelagics, and large animal life. Highlights include big schools of barracuda and jacks, white and blacktip reef sharks, hammerheads, in season, the occasional whale shark, turtles, whales, dolphins, turtles, ghost pipefish, nudibranchs, pygmy seahorses, and many others.  See the site summaries below for more.

A lot of the dives are on walls with lots of hard and soft corals, giant fans, black coral, various sponges, tunicates, feather stars, and a huge variety of other invertebrates.

Seasons and Conditions

Diving is good year-round.

It is always warm with a range of 77-95°F (25-35°C) and the water temp between 77-86°F (25-30°C).  Most people never need any thicker than a 3 mm wetsuit.

The rainiest time is from July to September, but it doesn’t often interrupt diving.

Visibility is usually from 15-30 meters (50-100 feet). When it rains, visibility decreases some.

The best time for hammerheads is from December to April.

Liveaboard Diving

Liveaboard cruises only touch the Panglao Island area.  There are very limited opportunities annually to dive on Cabilao and Balicasag on liveaboards with none of them going to the main dive sites east of Panglao Island.

To check out Philippines liveaboard opportunities, please check out this post:

For other posts about Philippine diving, check these:

Panglao Island Dive Sites

Brief Dive Site Summaries (see map below for locations)

  1. Black Forest (Balicasag Island) – steep slope starts at 5-8 meters, coral heads all along the slope, many black corals starting at 30 meters, schools of bluefin and big eye jacks, Spanish mackerel, barracuda, reef fish, bannerfish, Moorish idols, turtles
  2. Marine Sanctuary (Balicasag Island) – from 4-5 meters a steep wall descends, overhangs, ledges, caverns, big eye jacks, unicornfish, giant trevallies, great macro
  3. Rudy’s Rock (Balicasag Island) – a good place for big schools of bigeye jacks and green turtles
  4. Diver’s Heaven (Balicasag Island) – grassy reef top with turtles, from 5-8 meters a steep drop off to beyond 40 meters, large tuna, bluefin jacks, triggerfish, turtles
  5. Light House (Cabilao Island) – drops off to a plateau at 25-30 meters and drops off again from there with another wall, current can be strong, rich coral reef, pygmy seahorses, ghost pipefish, nudibranchs, hammerheads and whitetip reef sharks, barracuda, big eye jacks, good muck diving, and night diving
  6. Cambaki’s Point (Cabilao Island) – in front of a small village, wall to 30 meters with a small cave, a sandy area between coral reef areas, diverse sea life, ornate pipefish
  7. South Point (Cabilao Island) – large table corals from 5-12 meters, then steep wall to 60 meters, rich with sponges, soft corals, and invertebrates, mild current
  8. Pamilacan Island – good drift diving, currents can be strong, mantas and whale sharks possible, Spanish mackerel, Napoleon wrasse, a big coral garden at 20 meters, reef to 50 meters, suitable for experienced divers
  9. Snake Island – also known as “Sunken Island” or “Cervera Shoal,” sunken plateau at 18 meters with a flat top of coral heads and barrel sponges, schools of fish start at 10 meters on the descent, current can be strong, black and white banded sea kraits, morays, giant frogfish, schools of big mouth mackerels, Spanish mackerels, surgeonfish, reef slopes from 18 meters to very deep, possibility of thresher sharks
  10. Arco Point – aka “The Hole in the Wall,” tunnel from 8 to 18 meters, many snakes, steep wall from 8-20 meters, rich coral to 30 meters, moray and snake eels in the tunnel, great macro with frogfish, Pegasus, flounders, scorpionfish, beginner to advanced level diving, some stronger current possible at the drop-offs
  11. BBC (Bohol Beach Club) – reef starts at 6-10 meters with two jeepneys, one at 8 meters and one at 10 meters, covered with soft corals, steep slopes with sea fans holding pygmy seahorses, rich macro site with dart gobies, spiny devilfish, frogfish, whiskered pipefish and more, reef continues to 25 meters, small cave with flatworms, moray and snake eels, sandy bottom at the base
  12. Cristal Coast – reef drops off to 25 meters, hard and soft corals, rich macro life, eels, scorpionfish, and nudibranchs, suitable for beginners and training
  13. Alona Beach – wall to 25 meters, many fissures, rich coral reef with anemones and small reef fish, good macro with scorpionfish, frogfish, nudibranchs, sea kraits, good night dive area
  14. Kalipayan Wreck – the reef drops off at 5 meters into a vertical wall to 22 meters, scuttled Filipino pumpboat in 33 meters on a sandy bottom below the wall, greatly disintegrated, seahorses, wonderpus octopus, and flamboyant cuttlefish are all sometimes sighted
  15. Habagat Wreck – scuttled in 2000, engine room sits at 28 meters, bow at 35 meters in the sand, interesting macro life, large lionfish, pipefish, morays, yellow trevallies, from 28 meters is a slope ascending to a wall to 5 meters, can be suitable for intermediate to advanced divers
  16. Puntod Wall – at 3-5 meters is a coral garden, 5-40 meters is a steep wall, gorgonians, coral and invertebrates, scorpionfish, ribbon eels, giant frogfish, clown frogfish, tuna, Spanish mackerel
  17. Doljo Point – from 5-6 meters wall descends to 60 meters, leather corals, sea fans, barrel sponges with giant frogfish, reef fish, angelfish, butterflyfish, Spanish mackerel, barracuda, eagle rays
  18. Momo Beach – from 3-5 meters wall extends to 40 meters, table corals on top and wall covered with hard and soft corals, diverse life, leaf fish, nudibranchs, gobies
  19. Napaling – from 3 meters wall goes down to 40 meters, fissures, holes, caverns, ledges, reef fish, anthias, Moorish idols, bannerfish, juvenile barracuda, frogfish

These are some of the most famous and popular dive sites.  Every dive shop has a number of others they can suggest.  In addition to these sites around Panglao, Cabilao, and Balicasag Islands, many shops will do trips further away up to Anda, in eastern Bohol, and to Sumilon Island, Little Apo Island, Oslob, or Siquijor to the west and southwest.

Panglao Island Dive Site Map Philippines Scuba Diving
Panglao Island Dive Site Map

Panglao Island Photos

With the macro life, beautiful, diverse coral reef, megafauna, and lots of fish, there are many excellent photo opportunities.  For information and reviews of diving cameras, click here:

Panglao Island Accommodations

Panglao Island has many hotels and resorts from the lowest price backpacker hostel to luxurious full-service resorts.  From December to April, particularly around Christmas, Chinese New Year, and Easter, it can get very busy and the prices also get jacked up a bit.  Between May and November, it is more relaxed and at times pretty slow.  At such times, discounts can be arranged.  Generally, though, the pricing is very reasonable, especially for diving and diver training.

This website is a good source for the available options and can arrange a booking.  Their rates are the lowest and it is free to cancel or change dates:

Scuba Diving Trip Insurance

A cushion for emergencies provides peace of mind when on vacation.  I recommend this diving insurance as they have worldwide coverage and provide scuba divers quality insurance and medical assistance service.

Feedback and Comments

I hope you found this post on Panglao Island scuba diving interesting and useful. If you have any questions or ideas, please feel free to share them in the comments section.  I’d love to know of any experience you have diving there.  If there is no comments section directly below, click here:  >>comments<<

Best Scuba Diving Romblon Philippines

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Bluering Octopus - Romblon, Philippine
Bluering Octopus – Romblon, Philippines

Updated November 18, 2022

This is the seventy-seventh in a series of reviews of the best dive resort locations worldwide.  In this post, the focus is on Romblon, Philippines.

In addition to this series on dive resort locations, the best worldwide liveaboard diving locations and services are reviewed in their own series.  To check them out, or others in this series, click on Liveaboards/Resorts on the menu at the top and choose a title from the list.

Have you ever been diving on Romblon before?  If so, I’d love to know about your experience.  What dive shop or liveaboard did you use?  Which dive spots are the best and what are the conditions there regarding the visibility, current, water temperature, sealife attractions, etc.?  Please post your response in the comments section at the bottom and we’ll all learn something we can use.

Scuba Diving Romblon

Background

With seven major islands situated south of Marinduque and Quezon, east of Mindoro, north of Aklan (Boracay), and west of Masbate, Romblon is a province with a population of 293,000.

Originally it was inhabited by aboriginal Negritos and Mangyans, who still have small remnant settlements today.  The Spanish arrived in 1569 and in the 1800s came other Filipino ethnic groups.

The islands are mountainous with well-preserved rainforests, waterfalls, remarkably clean inland water, and a number of endemic species.

This relatively pristine natural environment has spawned eco-tourism along with scuba diving.

Other economic drivers are traditional farming of rice and copra, fishing, and a marble industry featuring Italian quality stone.

The local population today speaks three different languages based on location.  Those that have attended school can also speak some Tagalog and English.Romblon Map

Undersea World

Romblon is becoming increasingly recognized as a top-level muck and macro critter location surpassing perhaps Anilao and Anda in the Philippines and rivaling Lembeh Strait on the world stage.

The islands of Romblon Province cover a broad geographical area and have a great variety of underwater terrain and habitat.  There are steep drop-offs, canyons, beautiful hard and soft corals, big sea fans, and rich diversity in reef fish to go along with muck and macro heroes including mandarin fish, Spanish dancers, tiger, and marble shrimps, Severnsi and Pontohi pygmy seahorses, mimic and wunderpuss octopus, sea snakes, and Melibe, Colemani, and Cyerce among the many resident varieties of nudibranch.

Some sites have massive schools of fish like bannerfish, fusiliers, rainbow runners, jacks, surgeonfish and tuna, and blue-spotted stingrays.  White and blacktip reef sharks, eagle and manta rays, and green and hawksbill turtles are common.  Whale sharks, dolphins, and whales are also known to make an appearance.

Most of the islands have dozens of sites, and several marine sanctuaries are in place to provide some protection.

Romblon Liveaboard Diving

There is one major liveaboard yacht that cruises to Romblon from July through September.

MV Solitude One

MV Solitude I – Romblon Liveaboard Diving – Check the Price & Details

For my other posts about Philippines diving, please click on these:

Seasons and Conditions

Diving is good all year in Romblon.

Average daily high air temperature runs from 28-32°C (82-90°F) with a water temp range of 26-30°C (79-86°F).  Most divers won’t need thicker than 3 mm of wetsuit insulation when the water is at its coolest.

There is a rainy season from roughly June to November which doesn’t normally interfere much with diving.  The driest months are from January to May.

Visibility is typically great at better than 20 meters (68 feet).  With exceptional muck diving and macro life forms, conditions are great for photography.

There are times when some sites experience a strong current.

Generally, though, there are conditions suitable for all levels of diver.

At last count, there are 7 or 8 dive shops on Romblon and Tablas Islands which are equipped to provide a range of training, equipment rental, guiding, and boat tours.

Romblon Islands Map

Selected Romblon Dive Sites

Blue Hole, Tablas Island: vertical chimney with an 8 meter (25 foot) in diameter opening at 18 meters (60 feet) descending to 32 meters (105 feet), crevices along the wall, sandy slope at the base, lobster and shrimps, reef sharks possible, current inside the chimney is possible pushing toward the surface, experienced level

Gorda Wall, Tablas Island: 5-70 meters (16-235 feet), near the Blue Hole, sea fans, sponges, whip and soft corals, schooling jacks, rainbow runners, tuna, fusiliers, surgeonfish and bannerfish, blue-spotted stingrays, sea snakes, white and blacktip reef sharks, green and hawksbill turtles, experienced level

Bangug Island: 5-20 meters (16-68 feet), a 10-minute boat ride from Romblon town, a small island, rich soft and hard corals along a rocky slope, lots of reef tropicals, sea cucumbers, sea urchins, starfish, hairy shrimp, algae shrimp, Severnsi Pontohi pygmy seahorses, all levels

Agnay Lawis, Romblon Island: 5-30 meters (16-100 feet), a 10-minute boat ride from Romblon town, variety of hard corals including table, staghorn, and brain coral, porites, montipora, sloping bottom with pinnacles, parrotfish, sweetlips, schooling bannerfish snappers, batfish and surgeonfish, turtles, all levels

Takot Reef, Naguso Island: 5-30 meters (16-100 feet), near Turtle Cove 35 minutes boat ride from Romblon town, a slope on one side and a steeper wall on the other, massive schools of surgeonfish, bannerfish, yellowtail barracuda, yellowtail snapper, fusiliers and jacks, pufferfish, moray eels, blue-spotted stingrays, grouper, blacktip, and whitetip reef sharks, eagle rays

Alad Marine Sanctuary, Alad Island: 12 meters (40 feet), fields of leather and soft corals, hydroids, barrel sponges, sea moths, frogfish, dragon shrimp, Durban shrimp, marble snake eels, snorkeling, and all levels

Dogo Maru, Logbon Island: 30-40 meters (100-130 feet), Japanese ship sunk in 1944, historic artifacts remain, big school of batfish, advanced level

Dayundon Pinnacles, Tablas Island: 13-30 meters (42-100 feet), pinnacles topping at 13 meters (42 feet), sea fans, whip coral, crinoids, schooling fusiliers, snappers, bannerfish, bluetooth triggerfish, snappers, surgeonfish, and tuna, reef sharks, eagle rays, turtles, strong current possible, experienced level

Mactan Ferry, Maestre de Campo Island: 20-48 meters (68-155 feet), sunk in 1973 fully loaded and breached by a freak wave, lots of penetration possibilities, bow at 20 meters (68 feet), stern rests at 48 meters (155 feet), lots of fish and macro critters, pelagics, advanced and technical levels

Romblon Photos

With the interesting undersea terrain, wrecks, colorful coral reefs, macro critters, a variety of fish, sharks, rays, groupers, pelagics, and turtles, and scenic beach vistas and waterfalls as well, there are many excellent photo opportunities.  For information and reviews of dive cameras, click here:

Romblon Map

Romblon Transportation, Dive Shops, and Lodging

Transportation

Cebu Pacific flies to Tugdan Airport in Tablas daily.  From the airport jeepneys, minibusses or motor tricycles can take you to the Odiongan or San Agustin ports where ferries and pumpboats have regular trips between Tablas and Romblon Island.

Several major shipping and ferry lines go from Batangas to Romblon daily, including to the ports at Odiongan, Romblon, San Agustin, and Sibuyan.  There is also a ferry from Manila and another from Roxas in Mindoro.

For local transport, rental scooters are available in addition to jeepneys, minibusses, and motor tricycles.

Dive Shops & Lodging

There are at least 19 resorts and lodges from $7-$139 per night to choose from in Romblon, several of which have a dive shop or are associated with one.  At last count 7-8 dive shops are in operation offering a range of services including equipment rental, dive courses, guiding, and boat dive cruises.

The website linked below is a good source for the available options and can arrange a booking.  The first on the list is Romblon Fun Divers and Inn.  You can easily find the locations on the map provided on this site.  Their rates are the lowest and it is free to cancel or change dates.

Things to Do in Romblon (aside from scuba diving)

There are a number of historical and cultural sites and outdoor activities to round out your trip to Romblon.  Here is a list of places to visit and things to do:  Tiamban Beach, Bonbon Beach, San Pedro Beach, Agpanabat Turtle Sanctuary, Sunbird Ridge, Calvario del Romblon, Ati-Atihan Festival, Anchorbay Watersports, Romblon Yacht Club, Mount Guiting-Guiting, Sibuyan National Park, Sibuyan Island Motorbike or Tricycle Tour, Island Hopping to Logbon, Alad and Cobrador, Hiking, Night Hiking (to see insects), Romblon Marble Works Tour, St. Joseph Church, Fort San Andres.  This video can give you an idea of how it looks.

Scuba Diving Trip Insurance

A cushion for emergencies provides peace of mind when on vacation.  I recommend this diving insurance as they have worldwide coverage and provide scuba divers quality insurance and medical assistance service.

Feedback and Comments

I hope you found this post on Romblon scuba diving interesting and useful. If you have any questions or ideas, please feel free to share them in the comments section.  I’d love to know of any experience you have diving on Romblon.  If there is no comments section directly below, click here:   >>comments<<

Great White Shark Tours Review

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Solmar V - Guadalupe Island Shark Cage Diving

Solmar V – Guadalupe Island Shark Cage Diving

Updated November 15, 2022

This is the one hundred and eighty-seventh in a series of reviews of the best diving destinations worldwide.  In this post, the focus is on great white shark tours. In addition to this series on diving destinations, the best worldwide liveaboard diving locations and services are reviewed in their own series.  To check them out, or others in this series, click on Liveaboards/Resorts on the menu at the top and choose a title from the list.

Have you ever been great white shark diving before?  If so, I’d love to know about your experience.  What dive shop or liveaboard did you use?  Which dive spots are the best and what are the conditions there regarding the visibility, current, water temperature, sealife attractions, etc.?  Please post your response in the comments section at the bottom and we’ll all learn something we can use.

There is probably nothing more terrifying and at the same time intriguing than great white sharks.  Today many people are finding that they are widely misunderstood.  To get a close look without any real threat or danger, several locations are available to see them from the safety of a shark cage or even on the deck of a boat if that suits you better.  Several dive operations in South Africa offer half-day and full-day cruises with the opportunity to see them from surface shark cages suitable for certified and non-certified divers.  In South Australia and off Baja California, liveaboards provide full-service 2-6 day tours that not only offer surface cages but mid-water and seafloor cages as well that permit a much different viewpoint.  All use chumming and bait lines and are in areas where the sharks are common due to natural feeding opportunities on the likes of seals, fish, or penguins.

Below are descriptions of the five best-known and most popular shark cage sites.  Please review the information and take a glance at the videos to get a real feel for the excitement of the experience.

Top Great White Shark Tours

  • Gansbaai, South Africa
  • Mossel Bay, South Africa
  • False Bay, Cape Town, South Africa
  • Guadalupe Island, Mexico
  • Neptune Islands, Australia

Western Cape Province Map, South Africa Gansbaai, South Africa

Often called the “Great White Shark Capital of the World”, Gansbaai is located in the Western Cape Province of South Africa two hours southwest of Cape Town.  This small fishing town has become a major tourist attraction due primarily to a large number of great whites that are there year-round focusing on the area called Shark Alley between Dyer Island and Geyser Rock where they feed on the 5,000 African penguins and 60,000 Cape fur seals in residence there.  In addition, southern right whales and several species of dolphins are commonly sighted.

The diving is done in cages attached to the boat at the surface after chumming and the use of baited lines to bring them close.  Divers and non-divers can participate and it is offered to people who just want to stay on deck, as well.  Eco-awareness and training in preparation are emphasized.

One operator also offers day cruises 2 hours outside the bay for mako and blue shark dives in open water.  These are guided dives for those with at least an open water certification at 5-10 meters (16-33 feet) of depth.

  • Seasons and Conditions – While shark cage diving leads to sightings all year, the best time is from April through September when they more consistently come to the Shark Alley area for feeding.
  • Air temperature is mild with average daily highs from 18°C (64°F) in June through September to lows of 23°C (73°F) in January and February.
  • The water temperature runs from lows of 14-16°C (57-60°F) from April through September to highs of 18-20°C (64-68°F) from October through March.  Outfitters provide you with adequate thermal protection for the cage dives.
  • Rainfall is low all year and it rarely is a factor influencing diving.
  • Currents are generally mild to non-existent in the Shark Alley site.
  • Visibility is typically 5-10 meters (16-33 feet).

All diving is done from small to medium-sized boats on half-day and day trips.  No liveaboards are possible.

For my full review on shark cage diving in Gansbaai, please check out this post:

Mossel Bay, South Africa

Mossel Bay is a middle-sized city also in the Western Cape Province 400 kilometers (250 miles) from Cape Town and the same distance from Port Elizabeth.  This area has a lot of interesting diving on diverse undersea terrain with many of the region’s colorful invertebrates, fish, small sharks like catsharks and shysharks, a couple of historic 19th-century wrecks, the possibility of whales and dolphins from June to November, and the occasional mantas, turtles, and ragged-tooth sharks.  There is also a place called Shark Island about 10 minutes from the dock where great white sharks often congregate for feeding.

One dive shop runs regular baited cage diving tours there much like the ones in Gansbaai where chumming and baited lines are used to lure them to the cage mounted to the boat at the surface.  Again, participants may decide to remain outside the cage on deck.  No diving certification is required to get into the enclosure.

Aside from cage diving, there are dive sites and conditions suitable for all levels of divers.  The dive shops are fully equipped to provide a range of training, equipment rental, guiding, and boat tours.

  • Seasons and Conditions – Diving is possible all year in Mossel Bay.  The best time for great whites is from April through November but some are always in the Bay.
  • Average daily air temperature highs range from 17°C (63°F) in August and September to 23°C (73°F) in January and February.
  • Water temperature lows reach 15°C (59°F) in July and highs in January of 22°C (63°F).  Most divers will want a 5-7mm wetsuit when the water is warmest and a drysuit with a hood and gloves when it is at its coolest.
  • It is relatively dry with low rainfall year-round and rain is not often a factor in diving.
  • Inside the bay, currents are usually mild.  At deeper sites, it may be strong on occasion.
  • Visibility is variable and has a range of 4-30 meters (12-100 feet).

All diving is done from shore or small to medium-sized boats on half-day and day trips.  No liveaboards are possible.

For my full review on shark diving in Mossel Bay, please check out this post:

False Bay, Cape Town, South Africa

False Bay is a large body of water just to the southeast of downtown Cape Town.  There is a lot of interesting diving there with rocky terrain on the west side and sandier bottoms on the east side.  Lots of good sites are not far from shore on the west side with a nice array of cool water corals, sponges, kelp, and other invertebrates to go with a large variety of colorful fish and major attractions including catsharks, pyjama sharks, gully sharks, seven-gill sharks, a number of wrecks, resident African penguins near Simon’s Town, and a massive colony of Cape fur seals numbering 60,000 on Seal Island in the north-central portion of False Bay.  A number of operators run shark cage dives, a few outside of the bay, but many near Seal Island where the great whites congregate for feeding.

The conditions are very similar to those of the other two South African shark cage regions with chumming, baiting, and divers on the surface within the cage attached to the boat.

The dive shops are fully equipped to provide a range of training, equipment rental, guiding, and boat tours.

In the last several years, news reports indicate white shark sightings in False Bay are way down.  Let’s hope it is not permanent.  You can see from the video above published on July 10, 2019, that there was a fair number on that cruise.   This article indicates something else:  Something Fishy in False Bay as Great White Sharks Disappear 

  • Seasons and Conditions – Diving is possible all year in False Bay with the possibility of great whites historically best from October through March.
  • Average daily air temperatures are mild with highs in February at 26.5°C (79.7°F) and lows in July at 17.5°C (63.5°F).
  • The water temperature range is 12-16°C (53.6-60.8°F) on the surface but can be 1-3°C cooler at depth.  A 7mm wetsuit, hood, and gloves may suffice for some, but a drysuit is the best bet.
  • Rainfall is only 515 mm (20 inches) per year and is not often a factor in diving.
  • Inside the bay, the current is not much of a factor.
  • Visibility is variable from season to season.  With northeasterly winds in winter, the visibility is often from 5-10 meters (16-35 feet) but can extend to 20 meters (68 feet) or beyond.  During the summer, southeasterly winds can result in some surface chop and decrease visibility to less than 5 meters (16 feet).  At the same time, the dirty surface water on the east side can be blown out actually creating better visibility there.

All diving is done from shore or small to medium-sized boats on half-day and day trips.  No liveaboards are possible.

For my full review of scuba diving in Cape Town, please check out this post:

Guadalupe Island, Mexico

Located 265 kilometers (165 miles) off the coast of Ensenada, Mexico, Guadalupe Island is accessible on 5-6 day liveaboard cruises from August through October before the rains start.  The 18-hour trip puts you on a site rich with tuna, Guadalupe fur seals, and sea lions, all of which attract large numbers of great white sharks looking for feeding opportunities.

The liveaboard yachts are well-equipped for diving and photography and run a very professional and full-service operation.  Each vessel has several cages with air supplied from the surface through hoses or with tanks.  Some cages remain at the surface and there is the possibility of non-certified divers in those.  Other cages are submersible and in some cases, it is even possible to leave the cage with only a rail between the diver and the sharks.

In the off-season, these liveaboard yachts do safaris to the Socorro Islands.

  • Seasons and Conditions – The shark cage tours only happen from August through October.
  • Water temperature at that time is in a range from 19°C to 22°C (66°F to 72°F).   Divers will likely be most comfortable in 7mm wetsuits or drysuits with a hood and gloves.
  • The rainy season begins in October toward the end of these cruises.
  • Visibility is typically 30-45 meters (100-150 feet), great for photography.

For my review of Guadalupe cage diving liveaboards, please check out this post:

For pricing and details on the liveaboard yachts that do shark cage diving on Guadalupe Island and cruise to the Socorro Islands in the off-season, please check out these links:

Mexico Dive Sites Map

Neptune Islands, Australia

The 4 Neptune Islands are in the mouth of the Spencer Gulf off Port Lincoln, South Australia.  They are the home of albatross, rock parrots, sea eagles, sea lions, and Australia’s largest fur seal colony.  The great whites are around all year with females which are larger arriving from April to August when they have the opportunity to feast on recently born seal pups.

The Princess II is a 23-meter vessel accommodating a maximum of 12 guests that runs 2-5 day cruises year-round.  Two-day trips typically are for non-certified divers who use surface cages.  The 3-5 day tours include the possibility of floor cages for certified divers only.  Floor dives have average depths of around 18 meters (60 feet).

  • Seasons and Conditions – Liveaboards run year-round with the peak time for sharks from April to August when the females arrive.
  • The water temperature range is 14-22°C (57-72°F).  7mm wetsuits or drysuits with a hood and gloves are recommended.
  • Visibility is great at more than 20 meters (68 feet) at the surface and on the ocean floor, great for photography.

For pricing and details for the Princess II, the only yacht diving on the Neptune Islands, please check out this link:

Neptune Islands Location Map

Cold Water Gear

For my reviews of cold water scuba equipment, please check out this post:

Photography on Great White Shark Tours

With the interesting close-up shots of sharks and attractive seascapes, as well, there are excellent photo opportunities.  For information and reviews of dive cameras, click here:

Scuba Diving Trip Insurance

A cushion for emergencies provides peace of mind when on vacation.  I recommend this diving insurance as they have worldwide coverage and provide scuba divers quality insurance and medical assistance service.

Feedback and Comments

I hope you found this post on great white shark tours interesting and useful. If you have any questions or ideas, please feel free to share them in the comments section.  I’d love to know of any experience you have.  If there is no comments section directly below, click here:  >>comments<<

Best Scuba Diving Africa – Top 10 Destinations

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Ragged-Tooth Sharks (Photo courtesy of TripAdvisor & Ocean Explorers Dive Centre)

Updated August 16, 2022

This is the one hundred and seventy-third in a series of reviews of the best diving destinations around the world.  In this post, the focus is on Africa.  For other “Best” reviews of liveaboards and destinations, go to “Best Liveaboards & Destinations Lists” on the top menu.

Have you been diving in Africa before?  If so, I’d love to know about your experience.  What dive shop or liveaboard did you use?  Which dive spots are the best and what are the conditions there regarding the visibility, current, water temperature, marine life attractions, etc.?  Please post your response in the comments section at the bottom and we’ll all learn something we can use.

Best Scuba Diving Africa

When you imagine the wildest, most exotic, natural environment possible, chances are Africa comes to mind.  What is diving like there?  Some of the locations are pretty remote.  Is it worth the time to travel to such distant locations?  I say the answer is yes.  Below is an introduction to 10 of the best destinations representing a variety of conditions.  (Please note, the Mediterranean Sea, Red Sea, and the Middle East are not included in this review.)

Madagascar

Most of the best diving in Madagascar is in the Nosy Be area near the northwest tip of the Mozambique Channel.  Whether you dive from a local shop or on a liveaboard, the main focus is on the five-island Mitsio Archipelago to the north or the four-island Radames Archipelago to the south.  The marine life is diverse with 300 species of coral and 1,300 fish species in clear water on a range of basalt subsea formations with lots of plate corals, humongous sea fans, and macro critters.  The megafauna is also memorable with numerous species of sharks and rays, pelagics, sea turtles, dolphins, whales, and whale sharks.  Currents can be strong on some sites making for exhilarating drift diving.

  • Dive Season:  year-round (the best season for whale sharks is September through December and for humpback  and Omura’s whales is October through December)
  • Skill Level:  beginner to advanced
  • Water Temperature:  75-84°F (24-29°C)
  • Visibility:  usually around 100 feet (30 meters)
  • Highlights:  frogfish, spiny and slipper lobsters, nudibranchs, lizardfish, crocodilefish, octopus, pufferfish, morays, scorpionfish, bannerfish, snappers, regal angelfish, fusiliers, sweetlips, blue-spotted stingrays, titan triggerfish, batfish, Napoleon wrasses, giant groupers, schooling barracuda and jacks, 5 species of sea turtle, many shark species including whitetip reef, hammerhead, leopard, silvertip, and whale sharks, stingrays, manta, mobula, and eagle rays, tuna, dolphins, humpback and Omura’s (dwarf fin) whales

For a more detailed review of Madagascar liveaboards and scuba diving, check out this post:

Check the Price & Details on Madagascar Liveaboards

Port Elizabeth, South Africa

Port Elizabeth is located 478 miles (770 kilometers) east of Cape Town and occupies 10 miles (16 kilometers) of coastline along Algoa Bay.  Cold water from the west mixes with warm water flowing along the east coast creating the right conditions for a cold water reef that has a lot of hard corals one might expect on a more tropical reef, to go with cold water sponges, soft corals, and gorgonians.  The underwater topography is diverse with sandy stretches, gullies, pinnacles, rocky formations, and steep drop-offs providing excellent habitat for a range of invertebrates, macro critters, reef fish, game fish, rays, small sharks, ragged-tooth sharks, dolphins, whales, fur seals, and penguins.  Sites are available right offshore, outside the bay, and around small nearby islands.  There are also several wrecks at recreational diving depths.

  • Dive Season:  year-round
  • Skill Level:  beginner to advanced
  • Water Temperature:  59-66°F (15-19°C)
  • Visibility:  the best visibility is in the cooler winter months at 16-25 feet ( 5-8 meters) inside the bay and 33-50 feet (10-15 meters) outside the bay
  • Highlights:  nudibranchs, anemones, crinoids, sea stars, crustaceans, a variety of reef fish, rock cod, rays, ragged-tooth, pyjama, leopard, and shy sharks, game fish like cape knifejaws and musselcrackers, whales, dolphins, Cape fur seals, African (jackass) penguins, wrecks – Haerlem Wreck, Baratz Wreck

For a more detailed review of Port Elizabeth scuba diving, check out this post:

For information on cold water scuba gear, please check my post:

Dakar, Senegal

Dakar is located on Cap Vert, the westernmost point of continental Africa.  In its position there the reefs have a mix of Northern Atlantic, Mediterranean, and tropical marine life on volcanic and rocky outcrops interspersed with sandy patches with interesting swim-throughs and caverns.  While not as rich in corals as many tropical areas of the world, there are abundant gorgonians, and soft and hard corals to go along with many macro critters, reef fish, pelagics, turtles, rays, sharks, and cetaceans.  Seasonal attractions are huge stingrays from December to April, nurse sharks from July to November, green turtles from January to April, and humpback whales in September and October.  In addition, there are many historic wrecks and others sunk to discourage trawlers from dragging nets across the reefs, all to the delight of divers.

  • Dive Season:  year-round (the best season for whale sharks is October and November)
  • Skill Level:  beginner to advanced
  • Water Temperature:  68-81°F (20-27°C)
  • Visibility:  16-100 feet (5-30 meters)
  • Highlights:  lobster, crabs, shrimp, octopus, scorpionfish, blennies, nudibranchs, moray eels, grouper, trumpetfish, surgeonfish, filefish, white seabream, butterflyfish, angelfish, salema porgy, saddled seabream, pufferfish, parrotfish, red carp, tiger rays, dorado, schooling trevally, barracuda, green turtles, short-tail nurse sharks, guitar sharks, 1.5-meter wingspan stingrays, eagle and manta rays, pods of dolphins and humpback whales, many wrecks including Tacoma wreck, Konnke Thie, Konnahke, and the Red Star

For a more detailed review of Dakar scuba diving, check out this post:

Mozambique

With twice the area of California, a 1,535-mile (2,470-kilometer) coastline, and numerous offshore islands and reefs, Mozambique offers a great list of megafauna on its many pristine dive sites across the length of the shoreline.  Interesting subsea terrain of fringing reefs, rocks, walls, pinnacles, and arches are richly encrusted with a great diversity of hard and soft corals, gorgonians, and sponges.  There is an array of macro critters, reef tropicals, and pelagics to go with seasonal mantas, whale sharks, and humpback whales, and an astounding list of other sharks, rays, pelagics, dolphins, and even dugongs.

  • Dive Season:  year-round
  • Skill Level:  beginner to advanced
  • Water Temperature:  73-84°F (23-29°C)
  • Visibility:  80-130 feet (24-40 meters)
  • Highlights:  leaf fish, peacock flounders, frogfish, nudibranchs, crocodilefish, lionfish, snappers, sweetlips, grouper, fusiliers, moray eels, schooling trevally, barracuda, tuna and other pelagics, leopard, silvertip, hammerhead, tiger, bull, blacktip and whitetip reef, and guitar sharks, marble stingrays, eagle rays, dolphins, dugongs,  whale sharks, and manta rays appear from November through April with humpback whales coming from June through October

For a more detailed review of Mozambique scuba diving, check out this post:

Aliwal Shoal, South Africa

Aliwal Shoal is a fossilized sand dune 3.1 miles (5 kilometers) offshore from Umkomass in the KwaZulu-Natal Province of South Africa.  This Marine Protected Area (MPA) benefits from warm currents running along the coastline from the north that bring plankton and nutrients enriching the bountiful reef of hard and soft corals, and sponges.  The subsea terrain consists of rocky areas, overhangs, and caverns that make a good habitat for a rich variety of macro critters, reef tropicals, and megafauna.  A fantastic array of turtles, rays, pelagics, cetaceans, and many species of shark are the highlights.  Ragged-tooth sharks migrate for breeding from June to November, whale sharks in summer, and a baiting program brings in many shark species with masses of oceanic blacktips and individual tiger sharks common.  The pilchard run can be breathtaking, as well, and there are also wrecks to explore at recreational depths.  Passage through the surf to get to the shoal makes for an exciting boat trip and currents can be strong at times.

  • Dive Season:  year-round
  • Skill Level:  beginner to advanced
  • Water Temperature:  70-79°F (21-26°C)
  • Visibility:  10-130 feet (3-40 meters)
  • Highlights:  mollusks, crustaceans, flatworms, sea spiders, seahorses, anemones, scorpionfish, sea moths, lionfish, octopus, nudibranchs, eels, stonefish, paperfish, frogfish, triggerfish, potato cod, cardinalfish, sergeant majors, soldierfish, parrotfish, butterflyfish, angelfish, wrasses, large stingrays, green, loggerhead, and hawksbill turtles, dolphins, humpback whales, eagle, mobula, and manta rays, kingfish, tuna, barracuda, from June to November ragged-tooth sharks migrate from the south for breeding, whale sharks in summer, oceanic blacktip, tiger, hammerhead, thresher, Zambezi (bull), dusky, whitetip reef, and giant guitar sharks, billions of South African pilchards run from May through July, wrecks – MV Produce, SS Nebo

For a more detailed review of Aliwal Shoal scuba diving, check out this post:

Seychelles

Situated below the equator 300 miles (480 kilometers) to the east of mainland Africa, the 115 islands of Seychelles have an inviting warm climate and great diving year-round.  The granite-based undersea topography is not as rich in corals as Caribbean or Southeast Asian sites, but it is pristine and supports diverse marine life rich in macro critters, reef tropicals, and the main larger attractions like turtles, a variety of sharks including bull, silvertip, hammerhead, and whale sharks, stingrays, eagle and manta rays, and pelagics like marlin and swordfish.

  • Dive Season:  year-round (the best season for whale sharks is October and November)
  • Skill Level:  beginner to advanced
  • Water Temperature:  78-84°F (26-29°C)
  • Visibility:  65-100 feet (20-30 meters)
  • Highlights:  nudibranchs, spiny lobsters, octopus, Spanish dancers, mantis shrimp, lionfish, butterflyfish, angelfish, squirrelfish, surgeonfish, rabbitfish, lionfish, parrotfish, batfish, giant groupers, bumphead parrotfish, Napoleon wrasses, hawksbill and green turtles, swordfish, marlin, sailfish, barracuda, ribbon-tailed stingrays, grey and whitetip reef sharks, bull sharks, hammerheads, nurse sharks, silvertip sharks, oceanic whitetip sharks, whale sharks, manta and eagle rays, wrecks – Ennerdale and Aldebaran

For a more detailed review of Seychelles liveaboards and scuba diving, check out this post:

Check the Price & Details on Seychelles Liveaboards

Cape Verde

Spread over a broad area, Cape Verde (Republic of Cabo Verde) is an archipelago of 10 main islands 350 miles (570 kilometers) off the coast of Senegal, West Africa.  Warm tropical waters combined with cooler Atlantic currents on a volcanic subsea terrain of sandy bottoms, rocky formations, caverns, walls, and crevices provide habitat for a wide range of marine life.  There are colorful invertebrates in the form of encrusting corals and sponges and a variety of macro critters including many crustaceans and nudibranchs along with scorpionfish, frogfish, morays, and a variety of reef fish.  Currents in some areas bring nutrients that encourage a variety of turtles, sharks, mantas, game fish like tuna and wahoo, dolphins, and whales to spend time around the islands.  In addition, there are remains of 70 historic wrecks and a number of divable more recent ones.

  • Dive Season:  year-round
  • Skill Level:  beginner to advanced
  • Water Temperature:  73-81°F (23-27°C)
  • Visibility:  33-140 feet (10-40 meters)
  • Highlights:   moray eels, nudibranchs, slipper, and spiny lobsters, shrimp, sea spiders, frogfish, cushion starfish, scorpionfish, sea snakes, surgeonfish, cape yellowtails, sergeant majors, trumpetfish, filefish, pufferfish, angelfish, cardinalfish, goatfish, stingrays,  groupers, tuna, wahoo, schools of barracuda, sand tiger, nurse, lemon, hammerhead, mako, tiger, bull and whale sharks, manta rays, hawksbill, leatherback, and loggerhead turtles, dolphins, pilot whales, year-round humpback whales, wrecks – Kwarcit Wreck, Teliarte Wreck, Lost Anchor, Santo Antao Wreck, Dajarti Wreck

For a more detailed review of Cape Verde scuba diving, check out this post:

Canary Islands

Set 62 miles (100 kilometers) west of Morocco, the 7 main islands and numerous islets of the Canary Islands have a volcanic subsea terrain influenced by the warm Gulf Stream, Canary currents, and cold ocean currents with lots of nutrients coming from more tropical areas.  The corals aren’t rich but the topography of ledges, lava flows, caverns, and boulders supports 550 fish species and 1,000 invertebrates.  There are 3 Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) to help nurture and maintain the pretty rich macro life and reef tropicals with many large attractions that include a variety of rays, sharks, turtles, pelagics, and cetaceans.  Most of the mammals and pelagics are there year-round with mantas more common in September.  In addition, there are dozens of wrecks from many eras and an underwater gallery of sculptures called Museo Atlantico with 35 works of art creating a surreal reef scene.

  • Dive Season:  year-round
  • Skill Level:  beginner to advanced
  • Water Temperature: lows in January of 66°F (19°C) and highs of 74°F (23°C) in August
  • Visibility:  100 feet (30 meters) or better
  • Highlights:  moray eels, garden eels, crabs, sea urchins, nudibranchs, seahorses, octopus, cuttlefish, scorpionfish, trumpetfish, damselfish, pufferfish, glass-eyes, goatfish, triggerfish, parrotfish, boxfish, drummers, groupers, jacks, marlin, tuna, mobulas, common and marbled stingrays, eagle and manta rays, blacktip, whitetip, nurse, guitar, angel, hammerhead, mako, bull, silky, and whale sharks, 400 resident pilot whales, sperm whales, beaked whales, false killer whales, orcas, dolphins, 5 species of turtle (green, hawksbill, leatherback, Kemps Ridley, and loggerhead)

For a more detailed review of Canary Islands scuba diving, check out this post:

Sodwana Bay, South Africa

Sodwana Bay is located just down the coastline from the excellent diving in Mozambique in the far northeast corner of South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal Province.  The dive sites are set on the sandstone continental shelf with 1,200 species of fish and 100 species of coral that is mostly in pristine condition.  Surfers are delighted with the breaks and there is generally north to south drift for divers.  Macro life and reef tropicals are diverse and the megafauna of pelagics, stingrays, mantas, sharks, dolphins, and whales is truly impressive.  Mantas, ragged-tooth sharks, and leatherback and loggerhead turtles all migrate to the area from December through February with humpback whales coming from June through October.  Of note for the technical community, Sodwana Bay’s Jesser Canyon is the site where divers approached coelacanths at 330 feet (100 meters).

  • Dive Season:  year-round
  • Skill Level:  beginner to advanced
  • Water Temperature:  70-84°F (21-29°C) with the low in August and high in January
  • Visibility:  usually 50 feet (15 meters) or better
  • Highlights:  seahorses, ghost pipefish, scorpionfish, paperfish, lobster, nudibranchs, anemones, giant clams, morays, butterflyfish, angelfish, sergeant majors, sea goldies, fusiliers, surgeonfish, trumpetfish, hawkfish, numerous varieties of snapper and sweetlips, giant potato cod, stingrays, reef sharks, barracuda, jacks, pelagics, seasonal migrations of whale sharks, ragged-tooth sharks, nesting turtles, right and humpback whales, dolphins, manta rays, extreme technical divers located coelacanths at 100 meters (350 feet) in Jesser Canyon

For a more detailed review of Sodwana Bay scuba diving, check out this post:

False Bay, Cape Town, South Africa

False Bay is a protected area on the south side of Cape Town.  The west side of the bay is generally rocky with more steep drop-offs when compared to the east side of predominantly sandy bottoms.  Current is not much of a factor but surface chop gets more intense during the summer months when the southeasterly winds kick up.  There is an extensive cool water reef of mostly soft corals, sponges, sea fans, other invertebrates, and kelp, with diverse macro life, reef fish, and a large number of small sharks like shy sharks and catsharks, along with the much larger seven-gill shark, and great white sharks which come to feed on the up to 60,000 Cape Fur seals that take refuge on Seal Island in mid-bay.  Many dive shops operate shark cage dives there to allow a close look.  There is also a large colony of African penguins (jack-ass penguins) near Simon’s Town and several wrecks mostly at depths suitable for advanced and technical divers.

  • Dive Season:  year-round
  • Skill Level:  beginner to advanced
  • Water Temperature:  54-61°F (12-61°C)
  • Visibility:  16-68 feet (5-20 meters)
  • Highlights:  crinoids, brittle stars, sea stars, sea pens, anemones, crinoids, lobster, crabs, octopus, cuttlefish, dozens of species of nudibranch, horsefish, strepies, pufferfish, Roman fish, Hottentot seabream, stumpnoses, a large number of sharks like puffadder shy sharks, leopard catsharks, pyjama sharks, and gully sharks, seven-gill sharks, African penguins (jack-ass penguins), Cape fur seals, great white sharks, wrecks – SAS Pietermaritzburg, Clan Stuart, Lusitania

For a more detailed review of Cape Town scuba diving, check out this post:

For information on cold water scuba gear, please check my post:

Other African & Southwest Indian Ocean Scuba Diving

For my reviews of some other African and Southwest Indian Ocean scuba diving areas, please check these posts:

Photography in Africa

With the colorful coral reefs, a variety of fish, marine life, sharks, turtles, shipwrecks, and beautiful and historic onshore targets, there are many excellent photo opportunities.  For information and reviews of dive cameras, click here:

Scuba Diving Trip Insurance

A cushion for emergencies provides peace of mind when on vacation.  I recommend this diving insurance as they have worldwide coverage and give scuba divers quality insurance and medical assistance service.

Feedback and Comments

I hope you found this post on the best scuba diving in Africa interesting and useful.  If you have any questions or ideas, please feel free to share them in the comments section.  I’d love to know of any experience you have.  If there is no comments section directly below, click here:  >>comments<<