Mzanzitravel Local Travel Inspiration Issue 11

Summer
Snorkelling
For snorkelling expeditions my personal favourite diving spots range from the icy
Atlantic Ocean at Tietiesbaai on the West Coast, all around the coast to the much
warmer waters of Nelson Mandela Bay. This includes places like the kelp forests
of the rock lobster closed area off Melkbosstrand, anywhere in the marine reserve
that runs from Cape Town around Cape Point into False Bay, Boulders Beach and
its penguins of course, the home of big fish and even bigger sharks at Rooi Els and
Pringle Bay, all of the Betty’s Bay Marine Protected Area, the shallow reefs in front
of Kleinbaai and Franskraal (but remember this is great white shark country), and
on to the wild waters in front of the Cape Agulhas lighthouse.
by stingrays and black tails. The temperate waters of Algoa Bay allow for yearround
snorkelling. Pro Dive Snorkelling offers guided diving excursions around
Port Elizabeth, the Eastern Cape coast and Wild Coast, with all equipment
supplied.
Travelling further northeast you’ll come upon many more fabulous diving spots –
ask the locals for directions – all along the coast, until you get to St Lucia and the
iSimangaliso Wetland Park. In this sub-tropical region some of the most beautiful
tropical reefs are located. Operators like Extreme Nature Tours & Travel offer
guided snorkelling excursions at Cape Vidal, Sodwana Bay, Mabibi and Kosi Bay,
where you can marvel at the huge variety of colourful tropical fish, rays, lobsters,
sea turtles, dolphins and more.
On days when the sea is calm, you’ll find some lovely deep, protected gullies to
explore at Agulhas. The flashes of sunlight occasionally bouncing of objects on
the bottom or in cracks among the rocks, are the countless sinkers lost here by
unhappy shoreside anglers. Feel free to take them home.
Around Agulhas and neighbouring Struisbaai you might, if you’re lucky, come
across the remains of some shipwrecks, or even see a canon or two embedded
in the sand. But that’s rare, and perhaps they have all been taken out of the sea
by now. If you don’t find any while diving, you can always go see them at the
lighthouse museum or the Shipwreck Museum in Bredasdorp. The latter houses
a fascinating display.
A little further east the marine protected areas around the Breede River mouth
and Stilbaai are not to be missed. The Mossel Bay coast also offers some
lovely snorkelling spots at The Point, and the reefs that run along from Santos
Beach to De Bakke. You’ll see plenty of red bait clusters covering rocks, black
mussels, the occasional octopus, crabs, and many smaller fish like harders,
steentjies, janbruintjies and red roman. If you’re travelling along the Garden Route
there are literally hundreds of superb snorkelling spots at places like Victoria
Bay, Sedgefield, Buffels Bay, Brenton-on-Sea, Plettenberg Bay, Oyster Bay,
Keurboomstrand, Cape St Francis and Jeffreys Bay.
Snorkelling can be enjoyed by old and young, novices and experts, by people of
various fitness levels and by the whole family. But be aware of where you dive,
how deep it is, the movement of the tides, any currents, the presence of sharks,
weather conditions, the presence of bluebottles (Portuguese man o’ war), and all
other safety-related factors. Make sure you get the correct equipment that fits you
– there’s nothing like a leaking mask or too tight flippers to spoil your day. It’s best
to always wear a wetsuit, even in warmer waters, and never dive alone. And don’t
unduly disturb the permanent underwater residents in the marine reserves and
protected areas – remember you are just a visitor.
Scuba diving
To be able to participate in scuba diving in South Africa, you need to have
completed at least the minimum entry-level Open Water Diver Course certified
internationally by the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI). This
certificate will allow you to scuba dive independently with a certified diving buddy,
to depths of up to 18 meters. From this point on you can advance up through a
range of courses all the way to Divemaster, Instructor or Rescue Diver. But for
those who are just seeking some occasional fun in the sea the entry-level course
is more than enough.
Devil’s Reef, just 100m offshore at Humewood Beach in Port Elizabeth is another
great spot with many colourful reefs covered with sponges, soft corals and visited
The South African coast offers scuba divers a vast number of some of the most
exquisite diving experiences in the world. You can dive on your own with your
certified diving buddies, or you can join any number of diving operators all long
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