Oceans Africa Diving Adventures

South Africa is a place of vast and vivid contrasts, both on land and underwater. With dramatic landscapes and wide horizons, indigenous forest, game reserves, pristine reefs, wrecks, whales, dolphins and sharks, we couldn't ask for more. Oceans Africa represents a collaboration between dive centers, whale watching operators, dive instructors and guides, with representatives in all the main coastal centers of South Africa. A tour with Oceans Africa puts you in touch with the right people! Every member of the Oceans Africa team shares a life long love of the marine environment and our members are amongst the best and most professional in the local industry, we dive the dives , drive the boats and guide the tours, so allow us to be your hosts in Southern Africa.

Exploring the diverse marine environments of southern Africa has been our primary focus for the last ten years and scuba diving is our passion. While you experience a wide variety of unspoilt and spectacular dive sites, our highly qualified instructors are on hand to offer expert guidance and further training if required. For non divers and divers alike, the South African coastline offers some of the best and most accessible whale and dolphin watching opportunities in the world. Over 35 species of Cetacea can be found in our waters and there are fantastic opportunities to observe them from shore, boat and air. In addition, there are many other activities for those with an adventurous spirit and an interest in the environmental and cultural attractions of the country.

Oceans Africa offer fixed and custom made tours, packages and charters with a focus on the coastal regions of southern Africa, be it scuba diving, whale watching or naked bungy jumping. If you're thinking about southern Africa, we hope that you'll be thinking about a tour with Oceans Africa.

THE SARDINE RUN Tours and charters.

For the sardine run this year, we are offering a very exciting 11 day Wildcoast package from Mboyti, see 2008 report and as usual we are also working on the Durban south coast to provide a highly flexible dive package option that won't cost you an arm and a leg. Each week during the sardine run we will be offering daily charters from Shelly Beach as per demand (we run with min 4 people), otherwise we'll be joining the standard daily schedule to dive Protea Banks.

11 DAY WILDCOAST SARDINE RUN PACKAGE

This is the ultimate sardine run tour from Mbotyi on the Wildcoast. Package includes the following:

Diving, 9 days on the water conditions depending.

Accommodation and all meals.

Air Support. Dedicated Microlight spotter aircraft.

Guest Flight. Each guest will get to fly in the microlight.

Equipment. Airfills, cylinders, weightbelts.

All Transfers to and from Durban international to Mbotyi.

Alternate Activities in the event of bad weather.

LOCAL SARDINE RUN EXPLORATION DIVE CHARTER Runs from Shelly Beach.

This 3 to 4 hour sardine run charter departs from Shelly Beach on the Durban south coast. The tour aims to explore the local area for sardine related activity, with at least one dive either on sardine activity, inshore reef or Protea Banks. Non divers are most welcome and may enter the water on snorkel. Includes refreshments and light snacks. Excludes all equipment except tanks and eights.

WILDCOAST SARDINE RUN EXPLORATION CHARTER Runs from Port Edward.

This is an exclusive Wildcoast exploration charter (5~7 hrs). We launch from Port Edward and venture south in search of sardine activity, whales, dolphins and new dive sites with at least one standard dive. If conditions permit we will beach somewhere for a light lunch and refreshments (included). Non divers are most welcome and may enter the water on snorkel. Tour excludes all equipment except tanks and weights. Transfers arranged on request.

DIVES ON PROTEA BANKS

In the event that we do not get enough interest to run sardine exploration charters we will be offering daily dives on the world famous Protea Banks. At this time of year and the dives are excellent and as well as Zambezi (bull) shark and tiger shark sightings, it is also ragged tooth season, with anything up to 100 sharks gathered in the Caves of Proteas Northern Pinnacles. Of course if we encounter sardine run activity on the way to and from the dives, we will take the time investigate.

OTHER DIVE SITES:

The south coast of KwaZulu Natal is blessed with two vast offshore reef systems. Aliwal Shoal and Protea Banks (5 and 8km offshore respectively) are both kissed by the warm Agulhas current, bringing indigo blue waters and many pelagic fish. These reefs attract sharks of all shapes and sizes, so if you're looking for the big stuff outside of the cage, this is where it's at.

Aliwal Shoal, with its many caves, gullies and pinnacles, provides a seasonal residence for hundreds of ragged tooth sharks. From June to October it is not unusual to find yourself in the presence of several, large and fully mature specimens. Outside of "raggie" season, Aliwal Shoal offers consistently great diving. Guitar sharks and stingrays abound. Dolphins, eagle rays and manta rays are not uncommon and for something special, the wreck of The Produce (1974) produces the goods when the current allows.

Protea Banks must rate as amongst the worlds top shark diving destinations, and yet the world has hardly heard of it. Hang at around 30m and drift at a leisurely 1 to 2 knots over some spectacularly boring reef. If the nudibranchs catch your eye (and they do seem bigger and more colourful !) you're looking in the wrong place, the chances are a 3m bull shark has just grazed your back, but keep on looking for that elusive pipe fish and you may fail to notice the ramoras on the side of a 4m tiger shark!. More about tiger shark dives.

Of course Protea Banks has its quiet days and conditions can challenging, but this is SA diving at it's best! Few other dive sites can boast regular sightings of Zambezi (bull sharks), hammerhead, ragged tooth, black tip and tiger sharks (amongst others). Due to depth and current, divers must hold Advanced certifications with a minimum of 20 logged dives to dive safely on Protea banks. More shark pictures from Protea.

TELEPHONE NUMBER: +27 (044) 5333209