Go 2 South Africa

Custom Designed Africa Safaris and South Africa Tours

go2SOuthAfrica header
  • Spectacular Wildlife
  • Africa Honeymoons
  • Distinctive Africa Travel
  • Home
  • Africa Safaris
    • Botswana Safaris
      • Botswana Safari Tours
      • Botswana Mobile Camping Safaris
      • Active Botswana Safaris
      • Okavango Delta Camps
      • Chobe National Park
      • Savute Camps
      • Selinda / Kwando Camps
      • Kalahari Camps
    • South Africa Safaris
      • South Africa safari tours
      • Vegan South Africa Safari
      • Kruger National Park
      • Eastern Cape Safaris
      • Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
      • Kwa Zulu Safaris
      • Kruger National Park Walking Safaris
      • Kruger Park Birding Safaris
    • Zambia Safaris
      • Zambia Safaris and Tours.
      • South Luangwa
      • Lower Zambezi National Park
    • Zimbabwe Safaris
      • Hwange National Park.
      • Mana Pools – World Heritage Site
    • Namibia Safaris
  • South Africa Tours
    • South Africa Tour Ideas
    • The Garden Route
      • Garden Route Accommodation
      • Garden Route Day Tours
      • Garden Route Tours
    • Cultural Tours
      • Eastern Cape Cultural Tours.
      • Venda Cultural Tours
      • South Africa Cultural Tours
    • Vegan South Africa Tours
    • Luxury South Africa Trains
    • Active South Africa Adventures
    • South Africa Self Drive Tours
    • Tours for the Disabled
  • Cape TownTours
    • Cape Town Day Tours
      • Cape Town Scenic Tours
      • Winelands/Food Day Tours.
      • Cape Town Cultural Tours
    • Experience The Cape Winelands.
    • Cape Town Extended Tours
    • Cape Town Vegan Tours
    • Luxury Cape Town Villas
    • Active Cape Town
    • Self drive Cape Town
  • Vegan Safaris
    and Tours
    • Cape Town Vegan Tours
    • Vegan South Africa Tours
    • Vegan South Africa Safari
    • Vegan Botswana Safaris
    • Vegan East Africa Safaris
    • Vegan Africa Safari bush/beach honeymoon ideas.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Blog

South Africa Scuba Diving

If you just want a nice easy South Africa Scuba Diving  tropical dive holiday head off to Sodwana Bay or Aliwal Shoal and dive  dive  dive.

However  if you want to do some interesting dives, see a whole range of different sea life, you can do no better than a South Africa Scuba Diving .

Due to our wonderfully long coastline you can dive in a whole range of different environments, and see how they change with lattitude and water temperature.

South Africa Scuba Diving …Can be shortened,add in Mozambique,changed from a Self drive to a guided South Africa Scuba Diving tour.

South Africa Scuba Diving Tour:

 Day 1

Start in Cape Town. Settle in and unpack your dive gear. Don’t fret if you have forgotten anything,there are loads of dive shops.

The water is cold and you will need, at least, a 7mm (1/4 inch) wetsuit.

Day 2

Dive. In Cape Town you will dive in mysterious kelp forests with beautiful, colorful, soft and hard, cold water corals, and a whole range of other reef life. There are also some interesting wrecks, both historical and modern.

 Day 3

Depending on the weather, you may be able to dive the other side of the peninsula, noting the difference in sea temperature and undersea flora between one side of Cape Point and the other.

On the western side of Cape Point, you will find all three of the major genera of kelp growing together ? the only place in the world where that happens (although you have to look hard to find the macrocystis). On the eastern side of the point, there are only two.

 Day 4

If the weather is dicey you can dive in the kelp forest in the Two Oceans Aquarium or in the predator tank. Or both. Actually, perhaps you should do this even if the conditions are good. And consider trying a copper helmet dive in the predator tank something different.

 Day 5

You could head off to Hermanus, where you’ll find lots of soft corals, crinoids and quite sizeable schools of silver and/or red reef fish. Try a Great White Shark Dive .This is the last dive where you will see kelp after Cape Agulhas, the southernmost point of Africa, there isn’t any.

Day 6

Head off to Knysna. A dive on the wreck of the Paquita, in The Heads, is quite exciting  and pretty. The wreck is covered with colorful invertebrates and it lies right in the channel connecting the huge lagoon with the sea.

Consequently, dives have to be timed to coincide with slack tide or you could be in for a wild ride.There are also some lovely dives in the ocean outside The Heads. In the lagoon, there is one pretty weird, slightly grubby, very shallow dive, but you are virtually guaranteed a sighting of the rare and endangered Knysna sea horse.

 Day 7

Move on to Plett, where you can choose between some fun little reefs quite close in, or do a longish boat ride to some deep drop-offs. On some of the inshore dives, you may find a pod of a hundred or so dolphins swimming past. But then again, you may not.

 Day 8

Head off to the Stormsriver Mouth in the Tsitsikamma National Park, where there are marked underwater scuba and snorkel trails. There is also a full service dive operation on site. It’s a great place to spend the night, and perhaps go for a walk or watch whales or dolphins from the veranda of your room.

 Day 9

Take the short drive to Port Elizabeth. Here you will notice that the water is already so much warmer than it was in Cape Town. If you look carefully, you will notice different species of reef life. Here you will find no abalone (or perlemoen) which is so abundant further west.

 Day 10

Another short drive will get you to East London, which has some interesting wrecks but the infrastructure is not too consistent.

You may like to pop into the museum to see the first specimen of coelocanth, which was found off the waters here. Your chances of seeing some tropical vagrants is quite good indeed.

From here you could continue up the Wild Coast but it is … well … wild. And the diving is not consistent, but its good.

There is one very small operator in Coffee Bay but it’s really quite tricky and the chances of the conditions being good are small so perhaps it’s best to give it a miss and head straight to Aliwal Shoal, south of Durban.

 Day 11

The KwaZulu-Natal South Coast has some fantastic diving. There are no coral reefs, but the rocky reefs have lots of coral on them, and you will see a huge percentage of the fish you would see further north. Also  in winter, migratory ragged tooth sharks (Carcarias taurus) are in resdince. They may be visited but you need to obey some strict environmental and etiquette rules.

 Day 12

For experienced divers only, Protea Banks is one of the most exciting dives on the whole coast. It?s deep (nearly 40m), far out (about 8km) and in a strong current (up to 5 knots) so it really is not for beginners. Oh yes and it is crawling with sharks of almost every species. Hammerheads, Whites, Bronze whalers (copper sharks) Zambezis (bull sharks) and others. And, of course, many other large pelagics, such as rays and big schools of game fish.

 Day 13

Skip Durban as the diving is not as good as it is either north or south of the city. Head straight to Sodwana Bay. Yes, it is a bit crowded, but it’s wonderful. These are the most southerly coral reefs in the world by courtesy of the warm Mozambique current which keeps the water temperature over 20ºC.

Day 14

Dive Sodwana. If you’ve done a lot of tropical diving, this will be quite familiar but there are a few species you wont have seen elsewhere. One of the most beautiful Indian Ocean endemics is the Moorish Idol a fish your bound to notice.

 Day 15

If you are not on a tight budget, you could enjoy one of the most exclusive diving operations in the world. The diving north of Sodwana Bay is strictly controlled and launches are from one very upmarket dive lodge. But the reefs are virtually pristine.

 Day 16

If youre driving back to Durban, you can dive right up to the time you leave but, if your driving to Johannesburg treat the drive as a flight as Joburg is 2,000m above sea level and it only takes 6 hours to drive there mostly uphill (obviously)

Contact us: Africa Safari and South Africa Tour Contact form
Call Us: Call us at 541-482-6050

We design your Africa experience as you want it.

Notifications about Africa Safaris and South Africa Tours.

  • South Africa Tours

    • 10 Night Luxury South African Discovery
    • 12 Apostles Hotel
    • 28 days:Luxury Cape Town, Rovos Rail, Botswana, Mozambique
    • 28N: South Africa,Botswana Safari,Namibia,Luxury train.
    • 5N Classic Route 62 to the Garden Route
    • 8 Nights South Africa Escapade
    • 9N The Garden Route
    • Active South Africa Adventures
      • Biking in the Kruger National Park
      • South Africa Scuba Diving
      • Surfing South Africa
    • Honeymoon Africa Safari and the Seychelles
    • South Africa Self Drive Tours
      • 12 Nights Self drive Zululand and Battlefields
      • 18 Day Johannesburg to Cape Town
      • Effortless Gourmet Safari
    • South Africa Tour Ideas
    • South Africa weather and regions
    • South Africa Wild Flower Images.
    • South Africa:The Eastern Seaboard Adventure
    • Southern Africa The Ultimate Safari
    • Stephen’s suggestions: Unusual South Africa Tours/Safaris.
      • Trance Dancing with the Ancestors
    • Vegan Africa Safaris and Tours.
      • Vegan tour of South Africa
    • Vegan South Africa Tours
    • Luxury South Africa Trains
      • Blue Train To Cape Town
      • Blue Train to Pretoria
      • Rovos Rail Cape Town/Pretoria
      • Rovos Victoria Falls
    • The Garden Route
      • 3N Garden Route Meander
      • Garden Route Accommodation
        • Alkira Lodge
        • Fancourt Hotel and Golf Course
        • Gorah Elephant Camp
        • Hogs Hollow
        • Pezula Spa /Resort
        • The Plettenberg
        • Tsala Tree Top Lodge
      • Garden Route Tours
    • Indian Ocean Beach Island ideas.
    • Tours for the Disabled
      • 5 – DAY GARDEN ROUTE TOUR
      • 8 Day Kruger Park Safari
    • Luxury Johannesburg Lodging
      • 10 2ND AVE HOUGHTON ESTATE
      • Clico Boutique Hotel
      • Michaelangelo Hotel
      • Peech Hotel
      • Saxon Boutique Hotel, Villas & Spa
      • Ten Bompas
    • Other South Africa Hotels
      • Birkenhead House Hermanus
      • Birkenhead Villa Hermanus
      • Bushmans Kloof Reserve
      • Cleopatra Farmhouse Kwa Zulu
      • Oyster Box Kwa Zulu
      • The Marine, Hermanus
      • Thonga Beach Lodge Kwa Zulu
      • Umgazi Eastern Cape

South Africa Tour and Safari Testimonials.

View Testimonials
  • South Africa Tour National Geographic Testimonial
  • Dec 2021 vegan climbs Mount Kilimanjaro/South Africa Tour
  • sep 2019 south africa botswana gorilla safari uganda
  • 2019:Thanks very much its been a tough adjustment being back in the office today after such a wonderful time.
  • 2019:The trip was amazing just as expected
  • 2019:South Africa and Botswana Safari.
  • 2019: Reviews of Jacis Lodge Riverdene Mooiplaas
  • 2017: French Chef 
  • 2017: US college South Africa tour
  • 2017: Short Kruger Park Safari
  • 2017:How was it did you get the shot you wanted
  • Dec 2016:Southern Africa from the USA with a marriage proposal
  • Nov 2016:South Africa Tours-Group from USA-3rd repeat visit.
  • October 2016:Botswana Safari with a South Africa Tour from Canada.
  • September 2016:Kenya from the USA-1 client 2cnd repeat visit.
  • September 2016:Tanzania Safari from the USA.
  • March 2014:South Africa Honeymoon from Singapore
  • Dec 13:Venda Cultural Tour from Singapore.
  • Sep 2012 South Africa Tour/Botswana Safari from California USA
  • Nov 11 US group from DC:South Africa

Useful links

  • About Africa Safaris
  • South Africa Visas
  • Malaria on Safari
  • Africa Safari Clothing
  • Travel Insurance
  • South Africa Car Rental
  • South Africa Hotel Grading.
  • South Africa Cell Phone Rental
  • South Africa Currency
  • South Africa Weather
  • South Africa Beaches
  • Cape Town
  • Johannesburg
  • Durban
  • Port Elizabeth
  • Cape Town Winelands
  • Kruger-National-Park
  • Garden Route Information
  • North West Province
  • Gauteng
  • Mpumalanga
  • Wild Coast
  • Kwa Zulu
  • The Drakensberg
  • The Karoo
  • Route 62
  • Panaroma Route

Contact us: Africa Safari and South Africa Tour Contact form
Call Us: Call us at 541-482-6050

We design your Africa experience as you want it.

Notifications about Africa Safaris and South Africa Tours.

Africa safari/South Africa Tags

Africa safari africa safari guide Botswana safari cape town cape town south africa houseboat safari botswana Leopard safari plant based africa safari safari in Botswana sea kayaking cape town vegan africa safari vegan safari whales in hermanus whale watching cape town whale watching hermanus

Copyright© 2022 · E Mail stephen@go2southafrica.com · phone: +1 (541)482-6050

Custom Designed Africa Safari/South Africa Request Form

Menu
  • Home
  • Africa Safaris
    • Botswana Safaris
      • Botswana Safari Tours
      • Botswana Mobile Camping Safaris
      • Active Botswana Safaris
      • Okavango Delta Camps
      • Chobe National Park
      • Savute Camps
      • Selinda / Kwando Camps
      • Kalahari Camps
    • South Africa Safaris
      • South Africa safari tours
      • Vegan South Africa Safari
      • Kruger National Park
      • Eastern Cape Safaris
      • Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
      • Kwa Zulu Safaris
      • Kruger National Park Walking Safaris
      • Kruger Park Birding Safaris
    • Zambia Safaris
      • Zambia Safaris and Tours.
      • South Luangwa
      • Lower Zambezi National Park
    • Zimbabwe Safaris
      • Hwange National Park.
      • Mana Pools – World Heritage Site
    • Namibia Safaris
  • South Africa Tours
    • South Africa Tour Ideas
    • The Garden Route
      • Garden Route Accommodation
      • Garden Route Day Tours
      • Garden Route Tours
    • Cultural Tours
      • Eastern Cape Cultural Tours.
      • Venda Cultural Tours
      • South Africa Cultural Tours
    • Vegan South Africa Tours
    • Luxury South Africa Trains
    • Active South Africa Adventures
    • South Africa Self Drive Tours
    • Tours for the Disabled
  • Cape TownTours
    • Cape Town Day Tours
      • Cape Town Scenic Tours
      • Winelands/Food Day Tours.
      • Cape Town Cultural Tours
    • Experience The Cape Winelands.
    • Cape Town Extended Tours
    • Cape Town Vegan Tours
    • Luxury Cape Town Villas
    • Active Cape Town
    • Self drive Cape Town
  • Vegan Safaris
    and Tours
    • Cape Town Vegan Tours
    • Vegan South Africa Tours
    • Vegan South Africa Safari
    • Vegan Botswana Safaris
    • Vegan East Africa Safaris
    • Vegan Africa Safari bush/beach honeymoon ideas.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Blog