Aliwal Shoal: A Divers Dream

5km offshore from Umkomaas on the South Coast of South Africa lies Aliwal Shoal, one of the worlds most spectacular dive sites. Here, the clear warm waters of the Indian Ocean average approximately 28m and offer more exciting marine life, from multiple shark encounters to tropical fish, than you are ever likely witness anywhere else in the world. The beautiful topography, tropical fish and wrecks are more than enough to attract any diver, but the star attraction of South Africa is the sharks! And at Aliwal Shoal you will not be disappointed!

The Shoal has a central ridge that was once an ancient sand dune running parallel to the coast. This has formed a sandstone reef that opens up to expose fabulous caves, overhangs and gullies which provide shelter to many tropical fish. The Pinnacles is a long shallow dive over stunning rock formations where you can find deep holes and caves with sleeping turtles and rays. To the South and East of Pinnacles, you will find Raggie Cave (the top hang-out for ragged tooth sharks during winter) and Manta Point (the perfect location to find schools of tropical fish and graceful mantas gliding overhead). To the north of Pinnacles is the flat sandy basin of North Sands, a great place to find rays and sand sharks.

Just off the northeast of Pinnacles lies the wreck of The Produce, a Norwegian tanker carrying molasses, which struck the Pinnacles in 1974. Now lying in about 30m of water and broken into two parts, this is an excellent dive site for big game fish including salmon, kingfish, giant potato bass, huge morays and, of course, sharks! Raggies and blacktips are common, guitar sharks often hide along the sandy bottom and even tiger sharks have been known to make an appearance. The wreck itself is beautiful, resting in the sand at a max depth of 33m with its highest point at 12m, this wreck has been colonised by multicoloured tropical fish and corals.

The Nebo is another wreck to have succumbed to the rocky Pinnacles of the Shoals. This cargo ship of railway supplies sank in 1884 and remains fairly well intact. Although less popular than The Produce, you can still find a huge array of tropical fish and a few sharks.

The water temperature here ranges from 18-24C with visibility averaging 10-15m. The winter season runs from June to November which is when the ragged tooth sharks come to the Shoal to mate, you can expect to see 20 or more on one single dive! In summer, hammerhead and tiger sharks are common, as well as the giant brindle bass, marlin, tuna, sailfish and many different rays including devil rays and mantas. Zambezi sharks, copper sharks and even a few great whites are not uncommon in the Shoal. From the boat keep a look out for dolphin and whales and often you will hear the whales singing underwater.