Algoa Bay · South Africa · Reef · Pinnacle · Wall
Riy Banks
Ragged-tooth sharks over walls rising from below 30 m
Area photo: Mig Gilbert · CC BY-SA 2.0
Riy Banks is a large offshore shoal where massive walls and pinnacles rise from ground deeper than 30 m to a shallowest point around 11 m. Because it sits 21 km off the coast it usually has good visibility, and ragged-tooth sharks, rays, pajama sharks and game fish work the reef alongside coral and the usual reef fish.
Where it is and how deep
33.9847° S, 25.8617° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
Riy Banks is a large shoal about 21 km east of Cape Recife, a long boat trip each way, so the day is committed to the offshore marks rather than ducking back inshore. Because the site sits so far out it usually has good visibility. The reef shows as a set of massive walls and pinnacles rising out of ground deeper than 30 m to a shallowest point around 11 m, with one common drop point on a pinnacle.
Profiles run anywhere between 11 and 40 m, so most groups work one section of wall rather than trying to cover the whole shoal. Ragged-tooth sharks are the draw here, and rays, pajama sharks, game fish and the usual reef fish fill in around them, with coral growing on the rock. No site-specific hazards are reported and no special skills are listed for the reef itself, so the depth you choose is what shapes the dive.
Marine life and season
- Sand tiger sharks
| 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
Riy Banks Scuba Diving 4K - Port Elizabeth - 02/09/2023 · South Africa Underwater on YouTube
Questions divers ask
How deep is Riy Banks?+
Dives run between 11 and 40 m. The walls and pinnacles rise from ground deeper than 30 m, so the profile depends on which section of reef you work, and the depth puts the site beyond entry-level certification.
How far offshore is Riy Banks?+
It is a large shoal about 21 km east of Cape Recife, reached by boat from Gqeberha. It is a long trip each way, so the boat commits to the offshore marks rather than working inshore.
Sources
- Diving in Port Elizabeth — Wikivoyage
More dive sites in Algoa Bay
Reef
Ragged-tooth sharks in the gullies, minutes from the beach
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
Similar dives elsewhere
Eight park islets, minutes from the only dive base on Mohéli
Hammerheads and Zambezi sharks off a reef edge in open water
Sloping reef and island-side pinnacles, dived off a mooring
Two pinnacles on a narrow ledge where surge bubbles between the rocks