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Protea Banks is suited to advanced divers who are looking for big animals! It has gained a reputation as one of the world's top shark dives with Zambezi (Bull Shark), Tiger, Hammerhead, Blacktip, Ragged-Tooth, Bronze Whaler and if you are lucky the Great White.
Trevor Krull, the founder dive operator on Protea Banks has an impeccable & unsurpassed safety record. You will be assured of the highest professional service. We encourage smaller groups as sharks are essentially shy animals and diving in large numbers limits the chance of a sighting. Protea Banks is a reef system located 7.5 kilometres off Shelly Beach on the east coast of South Africa. The reef itself is an old fossilised sand dune and has two distinct areas on which we dive. The northern pinnacles has beautiful topography and starts at 33 meters. The Southern pinnacles ranges from 28 to 40 meters. The total diveable area is about 4 kilometres.
Each year during late May to late June on the East Coast of Africa an enormous gathering of creatures begins. Millions of Sardines (Pilchards) migrate towards KwaZulu Natal attracting thousands of predators: sharks, whales, dolphins, seals, birds and occasionally even Killer Whales. The spectacle from the surface is amazing, whilst underwater the action is absolutely incredible.
Superpods of up to a thousand common dolphins herd the sardines into tight shoals enabling them to systematically feed on the ever-swirling ball of fish. Joining into the feeding frenzy are sharks, birds and gamefish. To be able to predict the locations of the big shoals each day is where experience counts. African Odyssea has over twenty years of experience with the sardine run and has the knowledge to ensure that your trip to see this phenomenon is safe and as action-packed as possible.
How it works
We get daily reports from the Natal Sharks Board who run early morning spotting planes down the coast. Based on these reports we can estimate where the best sardine action will be and that's where we head. We launch at the closest launching site and track down the shoals from there. Once we find them it will be a case of carefully picking the best spot to get in the water. This is generally in front or to the side of the moving shoals. Then all you need to do is wait for the action to move towards you!
African Odyssea offers a few speciality courses that are run by individuals who have had many years experience in the field. The courses we offer are in-depth courses which don't just give you a certification card but truly enhance your diving career. All the courses are held at our dive centre and we do the qualifying dives on Protea Banks which is ideally suited to all course criteria.
African Odyssea offers its very own in-house accommodation. Hammerhead Lodge is situated on the dive centre property and has 5 double en-suite rooms. There is a lovely garden in which you can relax after dives and a communal lounge/kitchen area where you can socialise in the evenings. There is also the " Horny Hammerhead" bar at which we share a few drinks on braai (BBQ) evenings.
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