Africa · South Africa
Robberg & Plettenberg Bay
Shallow seal dives on the sand off the Robberg Peninsula colony
Photo: Theo Crazzolara · CC BY 2.0
Plettenberg Bay is a Garden Route resort town whose bay holds shallow house reefs a short swim from the beach and deeper offshore reefs reached by boat. Off the Robberg Peninsula a Cape fur seal colony gives shallow dives where divers wait on the sand and the seals come in close. Further out, Grootbank is a maze of caves and swim-throughs with ragged-tooth sharks, and Whale Rock is a pinnacle off Robberg Point for experienced divers.
About diving in Robberg & Plettenberg Bay
Diving in the bay splits between shore and boat. A set of shallow house reefs lies a short swim from the beach in front of the dive centre, and boats launch from Central Beach for the offshore sites. The seal colony on the Robberg Peninsula is a 10-minute boat ride away, Jacob's Reef and Dolphins Column about 5 minutes, and Grootbank 20 to 30 minutes. Several sites depend on the weather: The Island needs a windless day or a moderate easterly, and Whale Rock is dived only when conditions allow.
The reefs carry soft corals, sea fans, sponges and colourful anemones. On The Wall at Deep Blinders, strawberry anemones share the rock with blue choirboys and orange wall sponge, rising from 10 m to just below the surface. Pyjama sharks, leopard sharks and puffadder shysharks are seen all year on Shallow Blinders, with rays, cuttlefish and boxfish on the swim out and nudibranchs, octopus and scorpionfish on the reef. Virgin Reef is not often dived and keeps a profuse, colourful invertebrate life.
Plettenberg Bay suits divers of all levels, including children, and for beginners the house reef is an introduction to the area and its conditions. The seal dive works for anyone, and non-divers can snorkel with the seals or watch from the boat. The deeper reefs at Grootbank, Whale Rock and the Playground reach 30 m and are rated for Advanced divers, so newer divers stay on the shallower sites.
Best time to dive Robberg & Plettenberg Bay
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Good | Fair |
Summer is the warmest water, about 21 °C (70 °F) in January, but the onshore south-easterly winds tend to churn the sea up. December to January is also a peak holiday stretch, as is July to August. Through winter the water cools to about 18 °C (65 °F) by August, and the westerlies clear it. September and October bring the best diving of the year, though fair conditions hold in every month.
Dive types & marine life
A large Cape fur seal colony lives on the Robberg Peninsula, and seals are often seen in the surf off Robberg Beach. Ragged-tooth sharks come to Shallow Blinders in summer and are often seen on Grootbank year round. Whales enter the bay in spring to mate and calve, and dolphins are regularly seen on Dolphins Column.
- Reef
- Wall
- Wreck
- Seals & sea lions
- Octopus & cuttlefish
- Nudibranchs
- Dolphins
- Whales
Best dive sites in Robberg & Plettenberg Bay
- 1
Seal Colony
Shallow 4 to 6 m dive on the sand off the Robberg Peninsula, suitable for all divers, where the seals approach.
- 2
Grootbank
Extensive offshore reef of caves, swim-throughs and drop-offs, with ragged-tooth sharks often seen year round.
- 3
Whale Rock
Large pinnacle 900 m off the Robberg Nature Reserve, known for big fish and many ragged-tooth sharks.
- 4
Shallow Blinders
Three-pinnacle reef a short swim from shore, a fish nursery in summer when ragged-tooth sharks visit.
- 5
Jacob's Reef
Wall dive on a large pinnacle covered in soft coral, 5 minutes by boat from the Beacon Island Hotel.
- 6
Athina Wreck
The bay's only wreck, close to shore and popular with snorkelers, best on a high tide in calm seas.
- 7
The Island
Large round boulders and big caves off Robberg, with a variety of colourful invertebrates.
- 8
Playground
Immense reef of terraces rising from 24 m to within 10 m of the surface, near Tsitsikamma.
Site guides
Wreck
A Greek trawler's hull lying a short swim off Robberg
Reef
A maze of caves and swim-throughs with ragged-tooth sharks
Wall
Sea fans draped in basket stars on a soft-coral wall
Reef
Huge reef terraces with the odd big mako shark passing
Reef
Juvenile reef fish and cuttlefish among anemones in the shallows
Sand slope
Cape fur seals blowing bubbles at divers on the sand
Pinnacle
Three pinnacles reached on a short swim from the beach
Big caves among round boulders off Robberg's island
Pinnacle
Ragged-tooth sharks around a pinnacle that breaks off Robberg Point
How to get to Robberg & Plettenberg Bay
Flights from Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban land at George Airport, and the N2 runs east from there to Plettenberg Bay. Pro Dive works from the Beacon Isle Resort.
Dive videos
Diving with Cape Fur Seals at Robberg, Plettenberg Bay, South Africa · Steve Brandt on YouTube
Best Sea Dive/Snorkel in the World? Plettenberg Bay, Robberg Nature Reserve, South Africa · Nadia Aly Underwater on YouTube
Questions divers ask
Can a beginner dive with the seals at Robberg?+
Yes. The seal dive is a shallow 4 to 6 m dive on the sand, 10 minutes by boat from the dive centre, and is suitable for all divers. The seals swim close, blowing bubbles and moving in for a look.
Is there shore diving in Plettenberg Bay?+
Yes. Redbait Reef is entered from the beach, Shallow Blinders is a short swim out, and the Athina wreck can be reached by swimming or by a 10-minute boat ride. The house reef has plenty of natural light for photography.
Which Plettenberg Bay sites need experience?+
Grootbank, the Playground and Whale Rock are Advanced-level boat dives that reach 30 m. Whale Rock, a pinnacle off Robberg Point, is not for novice divers and is dived only when conditions allow.
Sources
- Top Dive Sites along the Garden Route – Plettenberg Bay — ProDive Plettenberg Bay
- Plettenberg Bay’s reefs: experience fantastic scuba diving — South African Tourism
- Plettenberg Bay Diving — SA Places
- Plettenberg Bay Average Sea Temperatures — seatemperature.org
- Plettenberg Bay — Wikipedia
Photo credits
- A wooden boardwalk runs through low coastal scrub above a turquoise bay with white surf, backed by two green headlands by Theo Crazzolara, CC BY 2.0, via Openverse
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