Hermanus · South Africa · Reef · Sand slope
Rietfontein Reef
Broken reef threaded with sand gullies, divable from shore or boat
Area photo: Peter Southwood · CC BY-SA 3.0
Rietfontein Reef, also called Tamatiebank, is a broken reef cut by many sand gullies off the Rietfontein stretch of Hermanus, with the bottom at about 17 m. It can be dived from shore or by boat, and the surge over it can sometimes be very strong.
Also known as Tamatiebank, Rietfontein.
Where it is and how deep
34.4294° S, 19.2271° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The reef is rather flat on top, broken by sand gullies and by big crevices and drop-offs that run deeper than the rest of it, to about 17 m. Kelp fills the crevices, where crayfish and shysharks hide. Shovelnose lobsters, octopus, abalone, gully sharks, dusky sharks, klipfish and nudibranchs have all been found here, and big orange sponges, sea-pens and starfish cover the reef, with ghost nudibranchs sitting on the orange sponges.
Marine life and season
- Octopus & cuttlefish
- Nudibranchs
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good |
Season follows Hermanus: Boats run year-round, weather permitting, so no month stands out; June to December adds southern right whales seen from shore.
Know before you go
- Surge over the broken reef can sometimes be very strong.
Sources
- Diving Services offered by Scuba Africa, Hermanus — Scuba Africa
- Hermanus Dive Spots — South Africa Online
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