Boesmansgat (Bushman's Hole)
Boesmansgat, South Africa
Gomes dived this Northern Cape cave to 282.6 m in 1996, setting the record for the deepest scuba dive in a freshwater cave.
- Technical
- Cave
Diving in South Africa
3 destinations and 21 documented dive sites. The strip under each destination shows its season, month by month.
Dive sites to know
Cathedral
Aliwal Shoal & Protea Banks, South Africa
In raggie season up to 40 ragged-tooth sharks rest in this reef amphitheatre; in summer, look out for hammerheads above.
- Advanced
- Rock formations
- Hammerhead sharks
Drift
down to 40 m
Protea Banks
Aliwal Shoal & Protea Banks, South Africa
A marine protected area since 2019 where dives bring close encounters with tiger, bull and hammerhead sharks and giant guitarsharks.
- Advanced
- Bull sharks
Cave
down to 18 m
Raggies Cave
Aliwal Shoal & Protea Banks, South Africa
Aliwal's most popular site: kneel at the cave entrance to watch ragged-tooth sharks in season, then hunt for shed shark teeth in the sand.
- Advanced
- Ragged-tooth sharks
Wreck
down to 32 m
MV Produce
Aliwal Shoal & Protea Banks, South Africa
A molasses freighter sunk in 1974, lying upright in three sections; home to lionfish and, reputedly, two giant brindle bass.
- Advanced
- Tiger sharks
Wreck
down to 27 m
Nebo
Aliwal Shoal & Protea Banks, South Africa
An 1884 steamer wreck with its propeller and boiler still visible, large shoals of baitfish all year, and barracuda and tuna hunting them.
- Advanced
- Tuna
All dive sites in South Africa
Aliwal Shoal & Protea Banks, South Africa
- CathedralAdvanced27 m
- Protea BanksAdvanced40 m
- Raggies CaveAdvanced18 m
- MV ProduceAdvanced32 m
- NeboAdvanced27 m
- CastleAdvanced23 m
- Manta PointAdvanced22 m
- Outside EdgeAdvanced27 m
- South SandsOpen Water14 m
- Arena ReefAdvanced30 m
- Bo Boyi ReefOpen Water15 m
- Potato ReefOpen Water20 m
Sodwana Bay, South Africa
- PinnaclesOpen Water12 m
- Seven Mile Reef (Northern Wall and Mushroom Rocks)Advanced22 m
- AntonsOpen Water16 m
- ChainOpen Water17 m
- Quarter Mile ReefOpen Water10 m
- Ribbon (Five Mile Reef)Advanced19 m
- StringerOpen Water13 m
- Nine Mile ReefAdvanced22 m
Boesmansgat, South Africa
- Boesmansgat (Bushman's Hole)Technical286 m
Photo credits
- Umkomaas river mouth and coast from the air, launch point for Aliwal Shoal, Noelmcdonogh, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Sodwana Bay beach with a humpback whale offshore, FinlayCox143, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Boesmansgat dive site, South Africa, Andreshirley, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Cathedral Aliwal Shoal dive site, Aliwal Shoal, South Africa, Peter Southwood, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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