Gordon's Bay & Rooi-Els · South Africa · Reef · Wall
Noble Reef
Noble coral on every pinnacle, above sheer walls to the sand
Photo: (c) Peter Southwood, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · CC BY-SA 4.0
Noble Reef is a ridge near the sand at the north west of the Rocky Bay area near Gordon's Bay, named for the noble coral that grows on its pinnacles. Reef and gullies end in sheer walls down to the sand on the seaward side, with sea fans, basket stars and many nudibranchs.
Where it is and how deep
34.1889° S, 18.8156° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
Noble Reef is usually dived from a boat, since finding it from a shore entry is largely a matter of luck without a GPS. The reef is a series of ridges and gullies with sheer walls reaching to the sand at the edge of the seaward side, at a maximum of about 26 m. Towards the shore the reef flattens into lower profile reef, large round boulders and gravel.
Noble coral grows on all the pinnacles, among sea fans carrying basket stars and plenty of lacy false coral. White sea catfish, koester, red roman, doublesash butterflyfish and several kinds of klipfish and gobies live on the reef, and sea spiders have been spotted. Gasflame, silvertip, black, orange-clubbed and red-spotted dorids are among the nudibranchs, with candy and orange-eyed nudibranchs on the pinnacle tops.
Marine life and season
- Nudibranchs
- Macro critters
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prime | Prime | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Prime |
Season follows Gordon's Bay & Rooi-Els: Diving runs mostly in summer, when the weather permits, with some good days in other seasons and an occasional winter dive.
Know before you go
- The dive averages about 18 m and the walls reach the sand at 26 m; watch no-decompression limits and gas.
- Like the rest of Rocky Bay it is exposed to south westerly swell, which brings surge and low visibility.
Dive videos
Scuba Diving Noble Reef in Gordon's Bay · IndigoScuba on YouTube
Questions divers ask
How deep is Noble Reef at Gordon's Bay?+
The sheer walls on the seaward side reach the sand at about 26 m.
Sources
- Diving the Cape Peninsula and False Bay/Rocky Bay — Wikivoyage
- Gordon's Bay Dive Sites — Indigo Scuba
Photo credits
- A Cape rock lobster on a reef wall crowded with orange anemones and red sea fans by (c) Peter Southwood, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
More dive sites in Gordon's Bay & Rooi-Els
Three sponge-covered pinnacles off the Rooi-els shore
Twin reefs shaped like a whale and calf, close to Gordon's Bay
Steep shoreline walls and a boulder swim-through close to the gully
Reef
Shallow sandstone ridges named for a Gordon's Bay instructor
A surface-breaking rock pinnacle above reef with unusually varied invertebrates
Ridges and gullies below the Rocky Bay resort cliffs
Kelp forest and broken sandstone ridges off the Rooi-els point
Sheltered cove entry below a shoreline cave
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