Algoa Bay · South Africa · Reef
Bell Buoy
Ragged-tooth sharks in the gullies, minutes from the beach
Area photo: Mig Gilbert · CC BY-SA 2.0
Bell Buoy is the inshore reef the local dive shops and divers use most: a rocky bottom cut into overhangs, arches and pinnacles between 12 and 18 m, and quite a large area to explore. Colourful soft coral and sea fans cover the rock, ragged-tooth sharks are often seen in the gullies, and it is a common resting place for seals.
Where it is and how deep
33.9822° S, 25.6939° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
Bell Buoy is a short hop, about ten minutes from the harbour or five from Hobie Beach, and it is the site the local shops and divers use most. The bottom is rock, cut into overhangs, arches and pinnacles, and the whole site sits between 12 and 18 m, so there is bottom time to work the structure slowly — though it is quite a large area, and one dive rarely covers all of it.
Follow the gullies between the pinnacles and look into the overhangs, where ragged-tooth sharks are often seen. The rock carries colourful soft coral and sea fans with nudibranchs, hydroids and anemones on it, so a slow close pass pays better than a lap, and large pods of red bait sit over the reef. Resident reef fish are constant, pelagic visitors turn up occasionally, and the site is a common resting place for seals.
Marine life and season
- Sand tiger sharks
- Nudibranchs
- Seals & sea lions
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good |
Season follows Algoa Bay: June and July bring the best visibility but also the coldest water; ragged-tooth sharks are in the Bay from November to May.
Dive videos
Bell Buoy Algoa Bay · Mandy Maclean on YouTube
Questions divers ask
How deep is Bell Buoy?+
The reef sits between 12 and 18 m over a rocky bottom of overhangs, arches and pinnacles, about ten minutes by boat from the harbour or five minutes from Hobie Beach.
What will I see at Bell Buoy?+
Colourful soft coral and sea fans on the rock, with nudibranchs, hydroids and anemones, ragged-tooth sharks often in the gullies and resident reef fish throughout. It is a common resting place for seals, and pelagic fish visit occasionally.
Sources
- Diving in Port Elizabeth — Wikivoyage
In The Logbook
- Where to dive with seals and sea lionsBig animals · 17 min read
More dive sites in Algoa Bay
Pinnacle
A large pinnacle with drop-offs, dived between 14 and 40 m
Wreck
A scuttled navy vessel small enough to cover in one dive
Reef
Ragged-tooth sharks over walls rising from below 30 m
Similar dives elsewhere
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A surface-breaking rock pinnacle above reef with unusually varied invertebrates