site zip: AF ZA CPT 0182 | neighborhood: Cape Town, Cape Winelands, Cape Country Routes | region: South Africa
Muizenberg beach huts

 Adventure Travel Activities   CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA

Scuba Diving near to Cape Town

Where Two Oceans Meet

Where in the world can you visit a destination and have the choice to dive "where two oceans meet", one warm and one cold? This would of course be Cape Town, where the western shores feel the full impact of the Atlantic Benguela current (cold) and where the eastern shores of the Peninsula are washed by the warmer shallower waters of False Bay.

The Cape coast is known for its winter north-westerly gales and strong south easter winds, which is why the coastal shelf is littered with shipwrecks. A significant number of these wrecks now provide interesting dive sites.

The mountainous topography of Cape Town's peninsula, prevailing seasonal winds (gale force at times), oceanic influences, geology of the seabed, changes in weather and the ocean temperatures all have a distinct and complex impact on the local ecology of the 100-plus dive sites and on the diving conditions experienced in this region. Detailed discussion on these complex factors and comprehensive information on the many of the individual dive sites has been compiled by local diving experts on WikiTravel.org, together with reference lists of dive shops, dive operators and much more. Cape Scuba Club is another important reference site for visiting scuba divers.

Marine Life

This is rich and varied around the shores of Cape west coast, Atlantic Seaboard, Peninsula (west coast) and False Bay shores. Please refer to the WikiTravel web pages mentioned above and to other reference sites for more details. Larger marine animals also frequent the waters off the Cape, including Cape fur seals (curious and frequently encountered), whales, dolphins and sharks. It is prudent to avoid diving along the False Bay shores between Muizenberg and Simon's Town during the spring and summer months, to avoid proximity to Great Whites. If you want to see these sharks, join one of the Great White Shark adventure activities offered by shark cage diving operators.

Safety when diving

Photos by Cape Scuba Club Map of Cape Peninsula and False Bay dive sites by Peter Southwood

Photos by Cape Scuba Club                                        Dive Sites Map by Peter Southwood

Indigo Scuba Dives Coral Gardens, Rooi Els | Cape Town, South Africa

[4:09 min] [Attribution: IndigoScuba]

Indigo Scuba does an awesome dive at Coral Gardens in Rooi Els (Cape Town, South Africa). A beautiful dive site with loads of colourful marine life, including feather stars, sea fans, noble coral and many different types of nudibranchs. On this particular dive, we came across a rock absolutely covered in nudibranchs.

Site Ed: Read more about this dive site, below.

Coral Gardens (Rooi-els): S34°18.144’ E018°48.795’
Click on Coral Gardens link above for detailed info on this dive site.]
Attribution: Peter Southwood / WikiTravel
Reef dive. Shore or boat access. Maximum depth more than 25m.
Named for the abundant gorgonians, sea fans and soft corals found in the area. Rocky ridges run approximately north east to south west. Large outcrops and boulders make rugged relief and provide a habitat for a large variety of invertebrates. There are three large pinnacles at the south ends of truncated ridges. The southernmost of these ridges has an arch feature just south of the high point. The northern ridge has a cave/swimthrough under a big boulder.

Contact information for Cape Town Scuba Diving Services

Cape Town Attractions

| Highlights of Cape Town | Bo-Kaap | Cape Town and Peninsula Beaches |
| Camps Bay | Clifton Beaches | Cape Peninsula Attractions | Castle of Good Hope |
| Groot Constantia Wine Estate | Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens |Robben Island |
| Table Mountain | V&A Waterfront | Winelands and Wine Routes |

Top of Page

| Travel Links | African Travel Marketing Network (LinkedIn Group) |