Gordon's Bay & Rooi-Els · South Africa · Reef · Pinnacle
Pinnacle
A surface-breaking rock pinnacle above reef with unusually varied invertebrates
Photo: Peter Southwood · CC BY-SA 4.0
Pinnacle is an inshore rocky reef a few kilometres south west of Gordon's Bay, named for the rock that breaks the surface just offshore. Shallow and sheltered, it has very varied topography and an unusual variety of invertebrates, above all nudibranchs, which suits divers of every level.
Where it is and how deep
34.1745° S, 18.8330° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
Dives start at the pinnacle, which is often exposed at low tide, and follow the coastline. Shore divers enter from a gully parallel to the shore on the north east side of the cove, with a deeper outer gully beyond it and a small, surge-filled cave round the left of the gully mouth. The reef of rock outcrops and boulders slopes gently down from the shoreline to sand at the maximum depth of 14 to 16 m.
A large rock towards the south side of the cove carries an orange wall sponge on top, and big outcrops lie to the north east. Fish are few, but the invertebrates are unusually varied: crowned, gasflame, silvertip, Cape dorid, inkspot, coral and soft coral nudibranchs, with sea fans and anemones. Cuttlefish, seals, large octopus and puffadder shysharks are also seen.
Visibility is seldom better than 8 m and is more usually 3 to 6 m in summer, often worse in winter, and it can drop off at depth where fine silt settles. The site is still worth diving in poor visibility, as there is a lot to see at close range. It is usually at its best in summer, when the south westerly swell is low and the wind is calm or from the south east.
Marine life and season
- Nudibranchs
- Octopus & cuttlefish
- Seals & sea lions
- 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
- Long-period south westerly swell causes strong surge in the entry gully; assess it from the roadside before climbing down.
- When the swell runs in sets, wait in the gully mouth and time the exit between waves.
- The cave is shallow and surge-filled; enter only when the swell is very low.
Dive videos
Diving Pinnacle in Gordon's Bay, Cape Town, South Africa · IndigoScuba on YouTube
Questions divers ask
How deep is the Pinnacle dive site at Gordon's Bay?+
The reef slopes gently from the shoreline to sand at a maximum of 14 to 16 m, so it suits divers of every level.
Sources
- Diving the Cape Peninsula and False Bay/Pinnacle — Wikivoyage
- Gordon's Bay Dive Sites — Indigo Scuba
Photo credits
- A barbelled klipfish hiding among orange feather stars and pink encrusting growth on a reef by Peter Southwood, 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
Noble coral on every pinnacle, above sheer walls to the sand
Steep shoreline walls and a boulder swim-through close to the gully
Reef
Shallow sandstone ridges named for a Gordon's Bay instructor
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
Similar dives elsewhere
Two pinnacles on a narrow ledge where surge bubbles between the rocks
Air-trap overhangs and swim-throughs on a granite boulder reef
Two kilometres of ledges, pinnacles and gullies, diveable in most weather
Octopus, potato bass and moray eels on a shallow reef