Africa · South Africa
Hermanus
Two-tank boat days pairing a Hermanus reef with a kelp-forest dive
Photo: Peter Southwood · CC BY-SA 3.0
Hermanus is a seaside town on South Africa's south coast whose dive boats leave Hermanus Harbour each morning, weather permitting, for a guided two-tank trip: normally a reef dive first, then a dive in one of the town's kelp forests. The reefs, among them Boiling Pot, Preekstoel, Table Top and Skulphoek, run from Preekstoel's ledge at about 8 m to Table Top's first drop-off at 22 m. Cape fur seals often join the reef dives, and pyjama sharks and shy sharks shelter in the kelp.
About diving in Hermanus
Diving runs from Hermanus Harbour. Every morning, weather permitting, a guided two-tank trip leaves the harbour, and courses and dive excursions run throughout the year. The first dive is normally on one of the local reefs. The boat then returns to shore for a surface interval before heading back out for the second dive, typically in one of the kelp forests, which is slightly shallower. The weather decides whether the boat goes out at all.
The reefs are outcrops of hard sandstone, broken into ledges, pinnacles, boulders and sand gullies, and they carry colourful fish life and coral. Sea fans, sea whips, gorgonians and large sponges grow on Boiling Pot and Skulphoek, where horsefish, octopus, cuttlefish, klipvis, pipefish and numerous nudibranchs are common. Crayfish, abalone and kelp are guaranteed sightings, and on Skulphoek bright anemones and brittle stars cover big areas of the rock surface.
Preekstoel is sheltered enough to be dived in almost all but the worst conditions and is a popular spot for dive training, and Skulphoek is normally calm and without any surge because of its depth. The shallow reefs are different: surge is to be expected in the shallows at Gearing's Point and can be very strong on Rietfontein Reef. Hakskeen's wall is a dive for the advanced diver. Divers who come for great white sharks rather than kelp and reef should look at Gansbaai, where people dive among the sharks.
Best time to dive Hermanus
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good |
Boats run year-round, weather permitting, so no month stands out; June to December adds southern right whales seen from shore.
Best months: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
Dive types & marine life
Cape fur seals often accompany the reef dives and occasionally come to investigate divers. Pyjama sharks and shy sharks live in the kelp forests, alongside a variety of macro species that the guides point out. Southern right whales are a shore sighting from June through December.
- Reef
- Kelp forest
- Wall
- Seals & sea lions
- Macro critters
Best dive sites in Hermanus
- 1
Table Top
Flat reef with drop-offs along its sides, the first to 22 m and the next to 40 m.
- 2
Skulphoek
Extensive reef of bare flats ending in drop-offs drenched in pink cold-water coral.
- 3
Hakskeen
Pinnacle very close to the surface in places, with steep drop-offs and a large crayfish population.
- 4
Boiling Pot
Narrow ledge with two distinct pinnacles, named for the bubbling the surge causes between its rocks.
- 5
Preekstoel
Flattish ledge topping out at about 8 m above a small wall that drops to around 15 m.
- 6
Rietfontein Reef (Tamatiebank)
Broken reef with sand gullies, where kelp fills the crevices and hides crayfish and shysharks.
- 7
Blowhole
Big boulders of smooth rock over sand patches, with crayfish hiding in the crevices between them.
- 8
Gearing's Point
Reef starting near the surface, with shysharks, abalone, crayfish and crabs.
Site guides
Reef
Big smooth boulders scattered over sand patches
Reef
Two pinnacles on a narrow ledge where surge bubbles between the rocks
Pinnacle
A pinnacle that nearly breaks the surface above a steep wall
Reef
A sheltered ledge and small wall used for dive training
Reef
Broken reef threaded with sand gullies, divable from shore or boat
How to get to Hermanus
Hermanus lies along Walker Bay on South Africa's south coast, about 115 km southeast of Cape Town and about a 90 min drive from it, by the N2 motorway and the R43 highway or the coastal R44 scenic route. The dive boats leave from Hermanus Harbour.
Photos from Hermanus
User:PhilippN · CC BY-SA 3.0
Dive videos
Neptunes Divers | Hermanus | South Africa · Scuba South Africa on YouTube
Questions divers ask
How does a Hermanus dive day run?+
A guided two-tank trip leaves Hermanus Harbour every morning when the weather allows. The first dive is normally on a reef, then the boat returns to shore for a surface interval before a slightly shallower kelp-forest dive.
What certification do the Hermanus dives need?+
Preekstoel's sheltered ledge, at about 8 to 15 m, is a popular dive training spot. Hakskeen's wall is a dive for advanced divers, and Table Top's outer drop-off reaches 40 m.
When is the best time to dive Hermanus?+
Boats and courses run throughout the year, weather permitting. June through December adds southern right whales, easily seen from shore through the winter months.
Which sharks are seen on Hermanus dives?+
Pyjama sharks and shy sharks live in the kelp forests. Great white shark diving is a Gansbaai trip, not a Hermanus one.
Sources
- Neptune's Divers & Cruises scuba diving — Neptune's Divers & Cruises
- Hermanus Dive Spots — South Africa Online
- Hermanus – Wikivoyage — Wikivoyage
- Hermanus – Wikipedia — Wikipedia
- Diving Services offered by Scuba Africa, Hermanus — Scuba Africa
- Diving in Hermanus – Wikivoyage — Wikivoyage
Photo credits
- Pink and white branching coral rising from an orange-encrusted rock, with yellow and red sponges around its base. by Peter Southwood, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Rocky shoreline with waves breaking below a town at the foot of rugged mountains, under a blue sky with white clouds. by User:PhilippN, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Embed
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Similar destinations
Nudibranch-rich rocky reefs and kelp forest dived by boat from Gordon's Bay
Cage-dive Shark Alley, once the world's surest great white ground, now an open question.
Cape fur seals and sevengill sharks weave through towering kelp canopies.
Whale sharks are near-certain November to May, with mantas on the outer reefs.