OceanworX

We joined forces in order to provide you with a better diving experience than ever before. More boats, more dives, same excellent service.

Carcharias Taurus

From June to November, Aliwal Shoal is famous for its Ragged Tooth Sharks. Although they are harmless, they have an imposing appearance and their ferocious set of teeth is impressive. They use Aliwal Shoal as a mating ground and can be seen in Cathedral, Shark Alley, Raggies' Cave and various other dive spots. They are quite docile while on our coast but still provide an exciting adrenaline pumped dive! Once the Raggies leave during November, there are other sharks to be seen. Schooling Hammerheads are a common sight in summer at Aliwal Shoal and you may see the occasional Zambezi Shark or Tiger Shark. Extremely rarely though, you might see a Great White shark.

Tiger Sharks

Galeocerdo cuvier

Considered a dangerous shark, the Tiger Shark can grow to a size of 5 or 6m. They have tiger-like markings on their backs and a white underbelly and they have strong, serrated upper teeth. The Tiger Shark can swim in very shallow water (usually during the night) but likes to keep in the depths during the day. Tiger Sharks are not fussy sharks and have been known to eat many strange things such as bits of pieces of rubbish that float along in the ocean (car's number plates included!) Be aware and cautious when diving with Tiger Sharks. They are easily recognizable from their flat white noses and undulating style of swimming. An awesome dive just off Aliwal Shoal can be arranged especially to see the Tiger Sharks, and you may see these amazing animals up close and a few hammerhead sharks too!

Location:

5km / 3 miles offshore, between Scottburgh and Umkomaas. 7 km boat trip from launch site. 50km / 31 miles south of Durban

Seasonality:

Jan - Jun : Dominated by large 3.2m (pcl) females Jul - Dec : Resident sub 3m (pcl) animals

Dive Depth:

5 - 8 m / 16.5 - 26.4ft Surface drift dive (approx 5 to 8 metres). Snorkelling / scuba 21% mix / Nitrox mixes / rebreathers

Typical Visibility:

6 to 30 metres / 20 to 100ft Average 15 metres / 50ft

Temperature:

Jan - Jun 22 - 28oc 3-5mm wetsuit advised

Jul - Dec 18 - 24oc 5mm wetsuit min. advised

General Itinerary

08h30 Meet on Beach to kit up

09h00 Launch

Return to beach after dive

09h30 Meet on Beach to kit up & brief

10h00 Launch

Return to beach after dive

We also offer:

The Sardine Run

The Sardine Run occurs between May and July along the East coast of South Africa when millions of sardines move up northwards. The sheer numbers create a feeding frenzy along the coastline in what is one of the largest marine events in the world. This has been dubbed "the greatest shoal on earth" by the Kwazulu-Natal tourist board. The sardines spawn in the cool waters of the Agulhas Bank through spring and early summer. Most of the fish stay in the cooler waters of the Atlantic Ocean and end up along the west coast of Africa.

It is thought that the run containing millions of individual sardines occurs when a current of cold water heads north from the Agulhas Bank up to Mozambique where it then leaves the coast line and goes further East out into the Indian Ocean.

In terms of biomass, researchers estimate the sardine run could rival East Africa's great wildebeest migration. However, little is known of the phenomenon. It is believed that the water temperature has to drop below 21°C in order for the migration to take place. In 2003, the sardines failed to 'run', the 3rd time in 23 years. While 2005 saw a good run, 2006 marked another non-run. The shoals are often more than 7 km long, 1.5 km wide and 30 meters deep and are clearly visible from spotter planes or from the surface.

Sardines group together when they are threatened. This instinctual behaviour is a defense mechanism as individuals are more likely to be eaten than large groups. These bait balls can be 10-20 metres in diameter and extend to a depth of 10 meters. The bait balls are short lived and seldom last longer than 10 minutes.

It is thought that dolphins (eastimated as being up to 18,000 in number, mostly the common dolphin but also the bottlenose dolphin) are largely responsible for rounding up the sardines into bait balls. Once the sardines are rounded up, sharks (primarily the bronze whaler, but also dusky shark, blacktip shark, spinner shark and zambezi shark), game fish (like shad or elf, king mackerel, various kingfish species, garrick, geelbek and eastern little tuna) and birds (like the Cape gannet, cormorants, terns and gulls) take advantage of the opportunity. The Cape Fur Seal follows the shoals up the Eastern Cape coastline as far as Port St Johns.

Dive Shop / Facilities / Gear

We've invested a fair amount into making your diving experience with us a both enjoyable and memorable one. Our dive shop and kit-up area has been revamped with your comfort in mind. The shower, toilet and kit-up area has been modernised, painted and tiled and a waterproof roof has been installed to ensure you and your kit stay dry whilst you are kitting up. We have increased the storage capacity for gear so you'll have more than enough space for all your stuff.

We've installed a brand new Bauer compressor with Nitrox, purchased our own branded Lizzard wetsuits as well as new Scubapro rental gear and Faber cylinders for the dive centre. We do not want to be a Scuba gear retailer, but if you require something we do not have in the shop we will gladly order it for you.

We also stock a range of the latest Firefish Divewear in our diveshop, as well as our own OAD Branded clothing and a range of books on the Aliwal Shoal and its inhabitants. Tea, coffee and rusks are available at the dive centre as well ice cold fridges stocking your favourite foamy beverages and energy drinks. Everyone generally gets together after the days diving in the dive shop lounge on the deck, have a few cold ones and chat away about what we saw, diving conditions, the boat ride or whatever comes up in the conversation. We pride ourselves on getting to know each and every one of our divers by name. We are also able to capture your dives on DVD so you can sit and re-live the experience at home.

Hassle Free diving / Safety

Diving has to be fun and not a hassle. Our well trained staff makes sure your gear is loaded on the trailers, our dive masters go through a thorough pre-dive briefing and safety is our top priority. If you need help kitting up or de-kitting, feel free to ask and we'll gladly assist. Maybe you hadn't dived in a while and feel a bit nervous, simply go to your DM and ask him/her for assistance. We are there so that you can experience great diving. Your safety is our No.1 priority. We will not hesitate to cancel a dive if we the weather or if surf conditions do not allow for a safe launch or a safe dive.

Scuba Courses

We offer PADI dive courses from Openwater to Instructor, as well as a variety of Speciality courses.