KwaZulu Natal Land & Sea Safari

The dive camp is small & in laid-back African style and the accommodation consists of reed thatched chalets under the shade of pine trees. A fire heats the plumbing, and the showers are in reed enclosures under the trees. A swimming pool to cool off and a bush pub with ice-cold beers provide all the luxury necessary.

The meals are mostly cooked outdoors on open fires and are a combination of traditional & international dishes (nothing funny though!). As this place is off the beaten track, most of the provisions are brought along and therefore all the meals are freshly prepared at the camp. South Africans eat a lot of meat – so be prepared (and let us know beforehand if you are vegetarian)! Something light before diving in the morning is followed up by a hearty brunch (bacon, eggs, sausage, that sort of stuff and on the beach if we can) and a huge braai (bbq meat/fish) or potjiekos under the stars in the evenings. No one has yet managed to lose weight on one of these safaris, and I don’t think you will either!

Days 2 - 5 - It is widely accepted that Sodwana Bay is the Mecca of diving in South Africa. The bay is situated in a marine reserve that now forms part of the World Heritage classified Greater St Lucia Wetlands Park, and makes for safe and relaxed diving.

You can expect to see an abundance of tropical fish, hard and soft coral, sponges, moray eels, large schools of pelagic fish, potato bass, turtles (hawksbill, loggerhead, green, leatherback) and depending on the time of year, whales (southern right, humpback), whale sharks and dolphins. Visibility is rarely less than 15 meters, and the water temperature in summer is 24+ degrees Celsius and in winter not colder than 19 degrees Celsius. The depths vary between 12 to 18 m with 30- to 50-m sites for the suitably qualified. The dives are all done from semi-rigid boats, with exiting launches through the surf! You will do 8 dives at different locations, including the specially protected 5, 7 and 9-Mile Reefs to ensure that you experience the full magic diversity of Sodwana.

The diving is normally done early in the mornings to leave the afternoons free to explore the area. This includes a 3-hour hike to Lake Mgobeseleni as well as a half-day 4x4 trip to Lake Sibaya in the heart of rural Zululand.

Day 9 - Next in line is 5 nights on the south coast of KwaZulu Natal. On the way there you will do a 2-hour cruise on the World Heritage Site of Lake St Lucia to find you a couple of hippos and crocodiles and then to the premises of the Natal Sharks Board to study their display of the sharks endemic to the area! The audiovisual show and display will give you a new insight into these lovely and much maligned creatures, and also prepare you for the next 8 dives!

Now that you are back in civilization, your accommodation and itinerary will reflect just that.

Days 10 & 11 - Adventure kicks into a higher gear when you spend these days completing a total of 4 dives on the world-famous Aliwal Shoal! During the months of June to November, you are sure to see the Raggies as they congregate on the Shoal to mate. It is not uncommon to find 15-150 of these ferocious looking but docile animals on a single dive. Depending on conditions, you will dive Cathedral, Raggie Cave, Shark Alley or any of a number of spots at Aliwal Shoal. In summer, you have every chance of seeing huge Tiger Sharks and Hammerheads. Should you tire of the sharks, we can always dive on any of the wrecks or go hunting for the huge (and I mean huge) Brindle Bass! Other species (depending on the season include Manta, Devil and other Rays, schools of pelagic fish, whales, dolphins, and many, many more!

To give the adrenaline a chance to subside we will give you one afternoon off, but you have the option of driving way up into tribal land and then kayak down the Umkomaas River, and the other you can use to visit the local crocodile farm.

At a nominal extra cost you can qualify as a Shark Specialty Diver during the safari. Other 'on safari' qualifications available are basic Nitrox qualification and the CMAS 2* certification.

Days 12 & 13 - Now that you have seen the Shoal, it is time to move on to even more serious stuff – 4 dives on Protea Banks. Described by Jacques Cousteau as the best shark diving site in the world, Protea offers exciting drift dives with (depending on the season) Ragged Tooth Sharks, three species of Hammerheads, Zambezi (Bull), Tiger, Thresher, Copper, Dusky, Mako, the occasional Great White and many other species of shark. Like on Aliwal the shark dives are done without cages and are quite safe. No diver has ever been attacked by a shark on any of these sites ;-)

One of the afternoons affords the chance to go shopping, and the other for an optional trip to the fantastic Oribi Gorge Nature Reserve to do a 112-odd meter gorge swing. The last night is obviously never without a good party!

Ethical & Environmental Principles