Dive South Africa

Dive with the sardines (including the reefs, wrecks and sharks) at Aliwal Shoal, Protea Banks and Rocky Bay as they migrate northwards along the KwaZulu Natal coastline. Ragged Tooth sharks congregate to mate during this period and you are sure to have lovely dives with them. Also huge Brindle Bass, moray eels, rays, turtles, schools of pelagic fish, whales, dolphins, and many more. The Sardine Run has recently received a great deal of media attention and hype. We would love to have you over to witness this spectacular event but first you have to know the facts.

It is not possible to predict exactly if, when and where the sardines will arrive at our coast. Historically the best window time to expect the sardines is from mid June to the first week of July, but it may be earlier or later, and normally they are first dived from Port St Johns and then at any of the launchable sites as they move north along the coast. In 2003 they did not reach the coast at all, but passed 25 km offshore at a depth of between 50 and 100 meters deep a total disaster from a divers point of view!

This means that there are absolutely NO guarantees that you will see the sardines unless you come here for a month or two and wait (and have the budget to do that). For this reason we have decided to from now on not have a Sardine Safari per se. Instead we rather offer a package at a lodge in UmKomazi 60 km South of Durban and central to all of the major dive sites. Based here we spend the days waiting (and hoping) for the sardines by diving the various sites (reef, wrecks and sharks) of Aliwal Shoal, Protea Banks and Rocky Bay. If and when the sardines arrive, they migrate up the coast and we will then dump everything else and dive them from any of the launching sites along their way. This way you are ensured of an adventurous diving holiday whether the sardines come or not.

Requirements

Advanced or equivalent certificate required for scuba dives.

C-cards and Log Books must be presented. Non divers welcome.

Duration (Sunday to Saturday)

7 Days/6 Nights

Safari Dates

(Custom dates can be arranged only for groups larger than 8)

22 June to 28 June

29 June to 5 July

21 June to 27 June

28 June to 4 July

Note: (This is a annual safari and bookings can be made for one year in advance)

Day one:

You will be met at the Durban Airport and from there we first visit the Natal Sharks Board to view their display of sharks, rays and turtles endemic to the area. Then we spend an hour or two at the Gateway Center for a bit of necessary shopping and then transfer to UmKomazi where you will be received with typical South African hospitality.

Days two to six:

Spend these days completing a total of 10 dives at various sites and in the afternoons we do excursions including a trip to the Oribi Gorge Nature Reserve (horse riding, abseiling or gorge jumping), a game drive in the Vernon Crookes Game Reserve, a tour of Durban and it's markets and an afternoon at the uShaka Marine World. At Aliwal Shoal the Ragged Tooth sharks congregate to mate during this period and you are sure to have lovely dives with them. Depending on conditions we dive Cathedral, Raggie Cave, Shark Alley or any of a number of spots at Aliwal Shoal. 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 include rays, turtles, schools of pelagic fish, whales, dolphins, and many more. Protea Banks offers exiting drift dives with a number of shark species, and is not for the faint of heart. All the shark dives are done without cages and are quite safe. There is a absolutely NO feeding, baiting or chumming for the sharks.

Day seven:

(Option A)

Call it a day and transfer to Durban International Airport to be in time for your flight home, or

(Option B) Great White Shark viewing

Jump on a plane to Cape Town to cage dive with the Great White Sharks in Gansbaai 3 nights bed and breakfast, land transfers and 2 sessions cage diving.

(Option C) Tiger Shark Diving

Stay in UmKomazi to dive with Tiger Sharks (sorry, no cages) 3 nights bed and breakfast, land transfers, 2 sessions Tiger Shark Diving , or

(Option D) Land Safari

Transfer to Hluhluwe and add a land safari to the trip to see lion, leopard, rhino, elephant, buffalo, zebra, giraffe and many more species before flying home 2 nights bed and breakfast, land transfers and 4 game activities.

Included in the price

6 Nights accommodation on a Dinner, Bed & Breakfast basis

Experienced guide/dive master and driver

Transfers from the airport and back

A visit to the Natal Sharks Board and Gateway Center

Excursion to the Oribi Gorge Nature Reserve

Game drive in Elands Wildlife Reserve

A tour of Durban and it's markets

An afternoon at the uShaka Marine World

Transfers to the and from the dive sites

10 dives at various sites, air fills, weights & tanks on a "use it or lose it" basis.

Sardine dives are included on the basis that we spend the same time on such a dive as we would have spent on the normal dive - plus minus 60 minutes in the water.

Excluded from the price

All travel costs to and from South Africa

Visas, personal insurance and taxes

Alcoholic and other drinks

Lunches and extra meals

Optional excursions

Full day charters - we will pay pro-rata

CONTACT US NOW TO BOOK YOUR ADVENTURE OF A LIFETIME