Durban · South Africa · Wreck
Fontao
A 34.5 m prawn trawler wrapped in shoals of bait fish.
Area photo: Peter Southwood · CC BY-SA 4.0
A disused prawn trawler sunk as an artificial reef in August 1991, now upright on sand about 2 km off Umhlanga Rocks. The hull is mostly intact and swarms with bait fish, so divers keep to buddy pairs on a wreck dive between 15 and 27 m.
Also known as Fontao wreck.
Where it is and how deep
29.7429° S, 31.0958° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The wreck is dived on a shot line. The Fontao is 34.5 m long, 8 m wide and 13.5 m high, and lies upright on a sandy bottom between 15 m and 27 m. The ship is mostly intact except for the wheelhouse, which has broken off and now lies on the sand beside the hull.
Bait fish swarm over the wreck, thick enough to cut the visibility on it. Penetration is possible, but the openings are very restricted. With the bait fish and the penetration, diving the wreck as one group is difficult, so divers stay in buddy pairs, and each pair carries a deploy buoy to ascend on its own line if it loses the group.
The wreck
- Vessel
- Fontao
- Type
- Prawn trawler
- Length
- 34.5 m (113 ft)
- Sunk
- 1991
- Cause
- Sunk as an artificial reef by the Oceanographic Research Institute (ORI)
- Lies
- Upright on sand at 27 m, wheelhouse broken off and lying on the sand
The Fontao is one of three artificial reefs sunk off Durban by the Oceanographic Research Institute (ORI), and went down on 8 August 1991. She was a disused prawn trawler, 34.5 m long, 8 m wide and 13.5 m high. The hull has stayed mostly intact on the sand off Umhlanga Rocks, losing only its wheelhouse, which broke away and now lies beside the ship.
Marine life and season
- Reef fish swarms
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair |
Season follows Durban: March to July is best: low rainfall and south-westerlies bring clear water. Spring rain (September to December) clouds the water near the harbour and Umlaas canal mouths.
Know before you go
- Penetration is possible but the openings are very restricted, and bait fish cut visibility inside and out.
- Shoals of bait fish can cut visibility on the wreck; stay with a buddy and carry a deploy buoy.
- The wreck can get busy; divers note the name of their boat and the divemaster counts heads.
Dive videos
Fontao Wreck - Umhlanga, Durban, South Africa · Ashraf Khan on YouTube
Questions divers ask
How deep is the Fontao wreck?+
Dives on the Fontao run from 15 m to 27 m, with the hull upright on a sandy bottom.
Can divers go inside the Fontao?+
Penetration is possible but very restricted, and bait fish reduce visibility on the wreck, so both should be weighed before going inside.
Sources
- Durban Dive Sites – Wrecks — Durban Undersea Club
- Diving in Durban — Wikivoyage
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