Ponta do Ouro · Mozambique · Reef
Bread Loaf
Marbled electric rays on a 10 to 14 m reef
Area photo: Hein waschefort · CC BY-SA 3.0
Bread Loaf is one of the shallow reefs on the Ponta do Ouro string, dived at 10 to 14 m and reached by boat off the surf launch. Marbled electric rays lie on the ground, and the rock carries anemones, coachmen, triggerfish, rockcod, emperors, nudibranchs and a spread of reef fish.
Also known as Breadloaf.
Where it is and how deep
No published position for this site — the map shows Ponta do Ouro and its other sites; operators know the mooring.
The dive
Bread Loaf is one of the shallow sites on the string, dived at 10 to 14 m with an average of about 12 m, so once the boat has come out through the shore break and you are down, the dive is limited by gas rather than by the profile. That makes it a long, unhurried dive by the standards of this coast, and one that suits a second dive after something deeper earlier in the morning.
The looking is close-in. Marbled electric rays lie on the ground, so it is worth checking the sand and the flatter rock before settling anywhere, and the reef itself carries anemones, coachmen, triggerfish, rockcod and emperor fish along with nudibranchs and a variety of reef fish. Shallow water and a long bottom time make it a straightforward site to photograph.
Marine life and season
- Nudibranchs
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good |
Season follows Ponta do Ouro: Resident dolphins are seen year-round; shark activity at Pinnacles and whale migration peak July-October.
Know before you go
- Marbled electric rays lie still on the bottom here and are easy to miss: look before you kneel, settle or put a hand down.
Questions divers ask
How deep is Bread Loaf?+
Underwater Explorer dives it at 10 to 14 m, and Scubago gives an average of 12 m with a maximum of 14 m. That makes it one of the shallow sites on the Ponta do Ouro reef line and a dive that ends on gas rather than on the depth profile.
Sources
- Bread Loaf — Scubago
- Reef Diving — Underwater Explorer
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Similar dives elsewhere
Coral bommies off the resort's own water entrance
A shallow reef inundated with nudibranchs, 300 m off the beach
Ridges of medium height running out to a seaward pinnacle
Sevengill sharks in the cove, kelp over granite