Dive sites in South Africa
Browse by region, city or dive type to find suitable locations for your experience level.
Regions
All dive sites
Blue Hole Dwesa
Coffee Bay · Eastern Cape · South Africa
A remote and pristine reef system on the Wild Coast within the Dwesa-Cwebe Marine Protected Area, where untouched hard coral gardens and subtropical fish thrive in one of southern Africa's least-visited underwater reserves.
Aliwal Shoal
Umkomaas · KwaZulu-Natal · South Africa
A fossilized sand dune reef teeming with ragged-tooth sharks, vibrant soft corals, and seasonal tiger shark encounters just 5 km off the KwaZulu-Natal coast.
Cathedral Rock Sodwana Bay
Sodwana Bay · KwaZulu-Natal · South Africa
A dramatic pinnacle reef formation on Sodwana Bay's famous Seven Mile Reef, where towering coral structures create cathedral-like swim-throughs teeming with tropical Indian Ocean life.
Protea Banks
Margate · KwaZulu-Natal · South Africa
An adrenaline-charged deep reef where schools of up to 2,500 scalloped hammerheads, tiger sharks, and bull sharks drift through powerful Agulhas currents.
Sodwana Bay Nine Mile Reef
Sodwana Bay · KwaZulu-Natal · South Africa
The furthest and least visited of Sodwana Bay's numbered reefs, Nine Mile Reef rewards the longer boat ride with pristine hard coral formations, large pelagic visitors, and a genuine wilderness reef experience on South Africa's tropical Maputaland coast.
Sodwana Two Mile Approach
Sodwana Bay · KwaZulu-Natal · South Africa
The lesser-dived southern approach to Sodwana Bay's famous Two Mile Reef where pristine hard coral gardens, ragged-tooth sharks, and manta ray encounters await beyond the reach of the day-trip crowds.
Two Mile Reef
Sodwana Bay · KwaZulu-Natal · South Africa
The southernmost tropical coral reef in Africa, packed with over 1,200 species of reef fish, curious potato bass, and seasonal whale shark sightings.
Sardine Run Wild Coast
Port St Johns · KwaZulu-Natal / Eastern Cape · South Africa
The greatest marine spectacle on Earth, where billions of sardines migrate along South Africa's Wild Coast pursued by sharks, dolphins, whales, and diving birds in a feeding frenzy of unmatched scale.
Gordon's Bay Steenbras
Gordon's Bay · Western Cape · South Africa
A rocky reef and kelp forest dive at the mouth of the Steenbras River in False Bay where cold upwelling brings nutrient-rich water that supports dense marine life including sevengill sharks, seals, and giant short-tail stingrays.
Shark Alley False Bay
Simon's Town · Western Cape · South Africa
A narrow channel between Seal Island and the mainland in False Bay where broadnose sevengill sharks, blue sharks, and Cape fur seals create one of South Africa's most intense predator-prey arenas within easy reach of Cape Town.
Shark Alley Gansbaai
Gansbaai · Western Cape · South Africa
The legendary channel between Dyer Island and Geyser Rock, once the undisputed great white shark capital of the world, now a thriving marine ecosystem with diverse shark species and Cape fur seals.
Simons Town False Bay
Cape Town · Western Cape · South Africa
A temperate marine wonderland in False Bay where kelp forests, sevengill sharks, Cape fur seals, and astonishing nudibranch diversity thrive in the shadow of Table Mountain on Cape Town's doorstep.
Smitswinkel Bay Wrecks
Cape Town · Western Cape · South Africa
A bay within the Table Mountain National Park where five deliberately scuttled ships create an artificial reef complex in sheltered False Bay waters, attracting dense marine life and offering Cape Town's best multi-wreck dive experience.
Dive centers in South Africa
Calypso Dive & Adventure
Cape Town · Western Cape · South Africa
Cape Town kelp forest diving and seal encounters from the V&A Waterfront.
Indigo Scuba Diving Centre
Cape Town · Western Cape · South Africa
Cape Town dive centre with kelp forest dives, Cape fur seal encounters, and Seven Seas wreck diving.
Shark Explorers
Durban · KwaZulu-Natal · South Africa
Baited shark dives at Aliwal Shoal with shark conservation education.
Shark Cage Diving SA
Gansbaai · Western Cape · South Africa
Great white shark cage diving in Gansbaai's Shark Alley.
Triton Dive Lodge
Port Elizabeth · Eastern Cape · South Africa
Port Elizabeth diving with penguins, seals, and Algoa Bay Marine Reserve.
Blue Wilderness Dive Expeditions
Scottburgh · KwaZulu-Natal · South Africa
Sardine run expeditions and oceanic encounters near Aliwal Shoal.
Into the Blue Scuba
Simon's Town · Western Cape · South Africa
Simon's Town diving with seals, sharks, and Cape kelp forests.
African Dive Adventures
Sodwana Bay · KwaZulu-Natal · South Africa
Sodwana Bay tropical reefs in iSimangaliso Wetland Park.
Blue Wilderness Shark Expeditions
Umkomaas · KwaZulu-Natal · South Africa
Aliwal Shoal shark diving with ragged-tooth sharks, tiger sharks, and the annual sardine run — South Africa's best.
Pisces Divers
Umkomaas · KwaZulu-Natal · South Africa
Aliwal Shoal shark diving with ragged-tooth sharks in the Cathedral.
Into the Blue Scuba Dive Centre Cape Town
Main Rd · Western Cape · South Africa
Pisces Divers
Simon's Town · Western Cape · South Africa
Dive Team - Cape Town
Simon's Town · Western Cape · South Africa
Dive Action
Paarden Eiland · Western Cape · South Africa
Cape Town Freediving
Summer Place · Western Cape · South Africa
Impact Divers
Cape Town · Western Cape · South Africa
Just Africa Scuba Center & Watersports Shop
Krystal Beach Hotel · Western Cape · South Africa
FREEDIVING AFRICA
4 Queens Park Ave · Western Cape · South Africa
Ollava SCUBA
Glencairn · Western Cape · South Africa
Oceans Africa
Fish Hoek · Western Cape · South Africa
Sodwana Bay Lodge Scuba Centre
2 Main Road · KwaZulu-Natal · South Africa
Pisces Diving Sodwana Bay
Sodwana Bay Sodwana Bay · KwaZulu-Natal · South Africa
Adventure Mania - Sodwana Bay Lodge Scuba Diving
Sodwana Bay Main Rd · KwaZulu-Natal · South Africa
Big Blue Diving Centre
Thungwini · KwaZulu-Natal · South Africa
Amoray Diving
Mbazwana · KwaZulu-Natal · South Africa
Coral Divers
Camp F · KwaZulu-Natal · South Africa
SeaXplore Lodge and Dive Center
Qondwane · KwaZulu-Natal · South Africa
Umhlanga Scuba
Point · KwaZulu-Natal · South Africa
Dive Factory
KwaKhangela · KwaZulu-Natal · South Africa
Professional Diving Centre
Bayhead · KwaZulu-Natal · South Africa
ScubaXcursion Diving
Durban · KwaZulu-Natal · South Africa
Blue Ocean Dive Resort - Aliwal Shoal Shark Diving
eMkhomazi · KwaZulu-Natal · South Africa
Aliwal Dive Centre
eMkhomazi · KwaZulu-Natal · South Africa
FREEDIVERS INTERNATIONAL
80 Rinaldo Rd · KwaZulu-Natal · South Africa
D3 Total Diver Evolution
La Lucia · KwaZulu-Natal · South Africa
Durban Skydive Centre
Groutville · KwaZulu-Natal · South Africa
TAG Diving Services
Durban · KwaZulu-Natal · South Africa
Buddy Scuba Dive Adventures
eMkhomazi · KwaZulu-Natal · South Africa
ScubaCo Diving & Travel
eMkhomazi · KwaZulu-Natal · South Africa
Ocean Divers - Aliwal Shoal
eMkhomazi · KwaZulu-Natal · South Africa
Diving in South Africa
Dive sites in South Africa include reef, pinnacle, open-water, wreck locations across Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, KwaZulu-Natal / Eastern Cape, Western Cape. Each location includes depth, conditions and environment type to help you plan safely.
Use the region and city navigation above to narrow your search, or explore individual site pages for detailed conditions, entry type, skill requirements and nearby alternatives.
FAQ
How do I access the Blue Hole at Dwesa?
Dwesa-Cwebe Nature Reserve is located on the Wild Coast of the Eastern Cape, approximately 280 kilometres northeast of East London. Access requires a four-wheel-drive vehicle along unpaved roads. The nearest town with services is Coffee Bay or Elliotdale. Dive operations are extremely limited; most visitors arrange trips through specialist operators in East London or Port St Johns who run expedition-style trips with inflatable boats launched from the beach.
Do I need a permit to dive in the marine protected area?
Yes. Dwesa-Cwebe is a no-take marine protected area managed by South African National Parks. Diving requires a SANParks permit obtained in advance. The number of divers permitted is strictly limited to protect the reef system. Conservation levies apply, and all activities within the reserve are subject to regulations including no collection of any marine organisms and mandatory dive briefings from reserve staff.
What makes Dwesa's coral unusual for South Africa?
Dwesa sits at the southern limit of subtropical coral growth in the western Indian Ocean. The Agulhas Current brings warm tropical water from Mozambique south along the coast, allowing hard corals to establish at latitudes where they would normally be absent. The reef here supports over 100 species of hard coral, a figure that surprises many divers who associate South African waters exclusively with kelp forests and temperate reefs.
When is the best time to see ragged-tooth sharks at Aliwal Shoal?
Ragged-tooth sharks, locally known as 'raggies,' congregate at Aliwal Shoal between July and November for their annual mating season. During these months, divers can observe dozens of sharks resting in the Cathedral and other overhang formations. Some sharks are present year-round, but winter and spring offer the most reliable encounters.
What certification do I need to dive Aliwal Shoal?
Most dive sites on Aliwal Shoal range from 12 to 27 metres, so an Advanced Open Water certification is recommended. Some shallower sections of the Crown are accessible to Open Water divers. Boat launches through the surf can be rough, so some experience with ocean diving is advisable.