Page updated May 2000
Go straight to Aliwal Dive Facts and Operators ¦ Andy Cobb Shark Specialty Course ¦ Go to South African Dive Location Map
UPDATE
2000: As we were in the area waiting for the Sardine Run to kick off,
Swinny from Aliwal Dive Charters invited us for a few
dips to check out diving conditions during April 2000.
Although the water was supposed to be cleaner at this time of year, we hit a bad weekend. Vis was down and compared to the dives with the Ragged Tooth Sharks last September (see below), the few dives we did this time were a little disappointing. We are assured however that the sea conditions and visibility in winter is usually much better. Our advice if you dived at this time of year would be to either concentrate on the wrecks as the clearer waters and calmer seas are perfect for wreck exploration; or use your dive to get close to the reef and search for little life such as nudibranches, anemones, lionfish, moray eels and rays. As we weren't looking for raggies this time it gave us ample opportunity to thoroughly look around the swim-throughs, caves and overhangs of the Shoal.
Original
update from September 1999
Finally
we arrived in Durban, and after enjoying the company of various officials
and agents, we drove Truck south from Durban just in time for our first
dive with the outspoken and inspirational campaigner on marine issues,
Andy Cobb.
Andy has been diving for over 20 years and in that time has ammassed an impressive wealth of knowledge. We joined his shark course and really felt priveleged to listen to a man so committed and passionate about the fundamental conservation questions facing South Africa and the world.
The course focused on biological structure of the shark, the demise of the shark through fishing, the unecessary fear of a misinformed public, the etiquette of diving with sharks and of course the dives with the sharks themselves.We will not
give away the course information as we feel it needs to come from Andy
himself. Do link through to his website - http://www.adventurescuba.co.za
to see what he has to offer with regard to awareness courses and organised
trips from foreign countries. This is the sort of instruction that dive
education is all about.
One of the many messages that Andy Cobb, along with several other operations in the Natal area, is trying to get across is that we, as divers, must behave responsibly and know exactly what disasterous effect we can have on the marine environment. Unfortunately some transient guides and dive-charters do not have that local knowledge and passion for the protection of ocean life and do not see far enough into the future to recognise that the sustainability of marine resources is vital for diving tourism.
Diving at Aliwal Shoal
Aliwal Shoal is just 5km offshore, south of Umkomaas. It is roughly 3km long by 300m wide and benefits from the cold Benguela current and the warm Agulhas current resulting in a rich and varied marine life as well as some thrilling diving.
Despite challenging launches, and sometimes limited visibility, the rewards are obivous. A dive between August and November practically guarantees that you will be surrounded by the Spotted Ragged Tooth Sharks (also known as Grey Nurse Sharks, or Sand Tigers. Best to stick to the latin name - Carcharidon Taurus). Mark fired off half a roll of film on our last dive as the Raggies literally lined up to have their photos taken. He would have used a whole roll but the batteries ran out (this is to be the beginning of a long frustrating year!)
Hammerhead and Zambezi sharks are also seen here, more often during Summer, along with the odd Great White Shark. We never thought we would ever want to dive cageless with a Great White, but after taking the course and speaking to various people about their experiences with the infamous shark, we would now actually look forward to a chance meeting underwater. We are almost convinced that these sharks are not at all interested in us, we are not part of their food chain, and that the majority of so-called 'attacks' are a simple case of mistaken identity.
Dive Facts
| Location | Aliwal Shoal |
| Launch Site | Umkomaas |
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Dive Centres
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Andy Cobb uses Sea Fever Lodge and Dive Centre based in Umkomaas. Graham Powell, PADI Course Director runs the centre, lodge, restaurant and bar with his partner Bronwin. They are fully equipped with training pool, compressor, 3 Rigid Inflatable Boats and professional Skippers showing an impressive knowledge of the local dive sites and sometimes challenging sea conditions. They can also provide Trimix and Nitrox fills. See website for more details. Aliwal Dive Charters,You can't miss Swinny and Sonje's place. Its the one with stunning murals of the reef painted all over the building. Swinny and Sonje have the longest running operation in Umkomaas which has maintained a good reputation over the years. Using freelance instructors, they cater for all training associations (PADI, NAUI, CMAS, SSI). The courses offered range from beginner through to instructor levels as well as shark and wreck speciality courses but their main focus is on the diving charters. Cost per dive on the shoal is R90, inc. airfill after the dive. Click here for Aliwal Dive Charters website for further details. Aliwal Dive Charters will soon be opening operations from Rocky Bay and Umzimai areas. |
| Best dive sites | Raggie Cave, Cathedral City, The Produce |
| Water Temp | From (Celcius) 19 degrees , 17 degrees bottom temperature in winter up to 24 degrees mid Summer. |
| Time to dive | Aliwal Shoal gets incredibly busy at weekends so go mid-week if you want to avoid bumping into other dive groups underwater. |
| Best time for Raggies | August to November |
| Exposure Protection | 5mm 2 piece was adequate, with hood if you feel the cold |
| Possible Marine Encounters | Main attractions are Spotted Ragged Tooth Sharks, Dolphins, Zambezi Shark, Hammerhead Shark, Potato Basse, many rays including Eagle Rays, Stingrays, Moray Eels, Humpback Whales, varied Wrasse species, Some tropical reef fish, colourful nudibranches, anemones and soft corals. |
| Comments
from initial dives in September 1999: Up with the lark each day, we were in the water by 6.30am. Boat ride - in a Rigid Inflatable, professionally skippered by Graham Powell of Sea Fever, Umkomaas (see above) - was accompanied by grand low flying Albatross and the broad rays of the sunrise shining through the cumulus cloud cover. The weather, choppy and chilly added to the excitement for our first dive in South Africa. Andy's Briefing re-iterated the need to respect the sharks' space, to let them behave naturally and get accustomed to our presence. Negative entry limited the surface movement which would excite any sharks in the area. Although visibility had been reduced by the recent high winds, the sharks were visible as soon as our eyes accustomised to the light. Raggie Cave lived up to its name and we were surprised to see that the sharks moved so calmly under the divers. As long as we behaved in a relaxed manner, breathing normally, allowing ourselves to move back and forth with the surge, then the sharks were not interested in our presence. Throughout the course, we were gradually able to distinguish male from female, recognise certain sharks by their markings, notice the particlar marks left on female pectoral fins after mating. These learnings enhanced the enjoyment of the dives so much more and gave us a thirst to learn more about the behaviour not only of sharks, but also the rest of the marine animals. Although we will never be fully accepted in the ocean realm, knowledge and respect is naturally the first step. The ProduceThis superb wreck, 176m long, is a glorious dive. The Norwegian Bulk carrier sank on 11th August, 1974 after hitting Aliwal Shoal. She now lies on her starboard side in a divers heaven.Surrounded by thousands of shoals of brightly coloured fish, the wreck having gradually formed a reef now has an entire eco-system living in and around it. Glass Fish and Lionfish hide in the dark corners along with gigantic Brindle Bass. It was during this dive that we heard the song of the Humpback Whale and began avidly looking out for the creature swimming past. No luck but the song was magical. |
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