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Dive
sites
By Ollie Rood, NAUI instructor # 14385.
Coral Gardens inside edge.
This
site is perfect for snorkelling as well as beginner scuba diving. Depth
ranges between 2-5m. Don’t let the shallow depth fool you. Competent
scuba divers have unreal dives here. Soft corals, fish and crustaceans
abound and nudibranches that don’t appear in any books! This is the
spot for the “scientist” and beginner alike.
All our pool scuba training
is conducted in this tidal pool, safely in real conditions. However we
will be building a swimming pool soon. Even the majestic mantas come in
to this protected area to give birth.
Coral Gardens outer edge.
A
short swim takes you to the outer edge, dropping to 12m. A perfect
amphitheatre provides sea-life out of this world. The soft corals are
quite beautiful offering unbelievably good photographic opportunities. I
have often seen Nudibranches here that are not catalogued.
Angler’s Alley.
Swimming seawards we run down Angler’s Alley. Obviously a favourite
spot with the fishermen, hence its name. It’s important to dive this
spot as the tide begins to rise, letting the current do the work for
you. Masses of fish live here as well as a good chance of finding the
latest fishing lure.
Paindane Express.
Around the point and into the current we go - nautical mile in 30
minutes, no problem! 40 meters deep before you know it! This is game
fish paradise with an unbelievable array of smaller creatures hiding
behind the reefs out of the current. Brindle bass the size of a small
car patrol up and down. Sharks love it here, especially in the deeper
areas – Zambezi, Dusky and Blacktip. Mantas and whale shark lazily hang
above in the current, filter feeding. It’s not often that we don’t find
whale shark in this area.
Zambezi = Carcharhinus
lencas – 3m
Dusky = Carcharhinus
obscurus – 2,8m
Blacktip = Carcharhinus
limbratus – 2,5m
Other unusual sightings
include the harlequin shrimp hiding in coral heads and lion fish by the
tens. It’s not uncommon to see over 50 at a time.
You need to be a competent
diver to get value out of this dive. Buoyancy and control need to be to
spot on, DM in sight at all times. You have been warned!!
Jangamo Reef.
A large reef about 600m long offering caves, gullies and drop-offs with
several dive sites.
Pao Rock,
Nemo’s, Caves,
Lobsterpot and Batfish Point
to mention but a few. Depths range from 8-22m on the outer edge. The
place to see nudibranches, small fry, cuttle-fish, mantis shrimp, pipe
fish, cleaner shrimp, crocodile fish, scorpion fish, leaf fish, sea
moths, frog fish, stone fish, turtles, white-tip reef sharks and a
multitude of reef fish plus cowries and cone shells. Don’t rush these
dive sites, the smaller creatures are hard to find! It’s not uncommon
to look up and see a manta or whale shark gliding by! The Lobsterpot has
a resident giant moray, the largest I have ever seen!
From the launch site 10kms
northwards we reach
Kingfisher
Reef. A much
larger deeper reef broken up with large sand patches in between the reef
formations. Spectacular sites include
Manta Point
(20-25m+),
Green Tree
(25-30m+) and
Ecstasy
(25-30m+).
Manta Point
named after the deep manta cleaning station, is frequented by large
mantas. Sand sharks and rays lurk around the sandy fringes. Giant
morays hide in the caves and crevasses. Hundreds of snappers and
triggerfish cover the reef like a shower of confetti and rise up from
the reef to meet you! An unusual creature frequently found here is the
Sea Apple, a large purple and yellow nudibranch-like animal with
retractable gills.
This is an excellent dive
site for advanced divers. A perfectly planned dive profile will reward
you with amazing sightings of mantas and devil rays while drifting at
your safety stop.
Heading a further 2kms
northwards, we reach the
world famous
Manta Reef. A
large slab of rock rising out of the sandy floor offering fantastic
walls, caves and canyons. This reef is in the main current with the top
rising to 15m and dropping down to 35m on the edges. Dive sites include
the
Fish Bowl (17-22m).
The fish life here is unbelievable – Spanish dancers, dragon morays,
tiger cowrie shells, egg shell cowrie shells, crown of thorns, nasty sea
urchins, cleaner shrimps, masses of reef fish and of course, the
majestic mantas and devil rays gliding overhead as well as regular
sightings of whale shark. Two tame and extremely large honeycomb morays
currently reside in this area.
Moving around the outer
edge and up onto the plateau, we come to our first
Manta Cleaning
Station. This is a flat wall to wall
area of soft coral where the mantas queue to move onto, allowing a
multitude of small reef fish to rise up and clean their massive host,
swimming right into their gaping mouths and open gills. Of particular
importance is the cleaning of shark bites. Many mantas have chunks
taken out of their wings by sharks, probably Zambezi and Tiger sharks.
It is essential to follow the protocol here when
visiting the cleaning stations: Never touch the reef, especially
photographers who tend to be clumsy. Never swim over the imaginary line
and into the cleaning area. This will disrupt the process and chase the
mantas away. Remain calm and quiet at all times. Mantas are incredibly
inquisitive creatures and will soon investigate patiently waiting
divers. These cleaning stations offer amazing
photographic opportunities; I’m sure, some of the best in the
world. Please be considerate to the environment, other divers and
especially the mantas. It’s their home into which we are intruding.
Drifting over the plateau
southwards with the warm Mozambican current, we pass some beautiful
plate corals, lionfish, eels, cowries, mantis shrimps and reach our
second cleaning station. Photographers who don’t watch the reef and
their buoyancy will land up on a sea urchin. Just reward for being
inconsiderate!
Heading eastwards we reach
the outer edge and an area known as the Canyon.
A fantastic wall, dropping down to 35m on the sand. Fish life wherever
you look: potato bass, snappers, eels, Spanish dancers and even the
occasional sea apple. Drifting down the edge,
we find yet another cleaning station,
probably the best. Mantas cue in single formation waiting for
their turn. There is no pushing and shoving – this is an incredible
experience. It’s only the “beep beep” of your computer that brings you
back to reality! It’s time to drift upwards and out of their world.
I have, on two occasions,
had whale shark, manta and devil rays in my view, well etched in
memory. We prefer to keep groups smaller and well controlled when
visiting this reef. You see more and the mantas are relaxed.
Finally heading 10km
southwards from the launch site we reach
Island Rock. This is a vastly different reef to anything else
we have. Conditions need to be perfectly calm. The shallow reef has been
carved up into huge chunks offering amazing alleyways and swim throughs.
Mantas often glide up and down. This is a perfect reef for juvenile
nurseries and the magnificent Triton shell.
Whale sharks
sometimes converge here in their dozens.
I have on numerous occasions seen over twenty from the boat, too tired
to snorkel with them any longer. This is a truly unbelievable sight!
It’s all waiting for you to
experience with our extensive knowledge and customer service.
Since Seablue Scuba Lodge
is a lot further north than any dive sites in South Africa, it makes
an ideal winter destination with water
temperatures rarely dropping below 22 degrees. The surrounding
area is covered with hundreds of coconut trees, which give it a
wonderful tropical feeling. One rarely needs a sweater for the evening.
Good diving followed by a meal of fresh prawns or fish is difficult to
beat in anyone’s language, not to mention the exceptional service we
provide. Giant Mantas and Whale shark are seen
all year round.
All divers welcome even if
you are staying at another resort.
We wish you safe and exciting diving!
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