Robberg & Plettenberg Bay · South Africa · Reef
Playground
Huge reef terraces with the odd big mako shark passing
Area photo: Theo Crazzolara · CC BY 2.0
Playground is an immense reef near the Tsitsikamma National Park, a 20 to 40 minute boat ride from Central Beach in Plettenberg Bay, reserved for divers with Advanced certification. Its size and terraced layout draw experienced divers, and the reef carries the occasional chance of a big pelagic shark passing through.
Also known as The Playground.
Where it is and how deep
No published position for this site — the map shows Robberg & Plettenberg Bay and its other sites; operators know the mooring.
The dive
The reef is laid out in large terraces that rise from 24 m to within 10 m of the surface, and dives on it range between 16 and 30 m. Big mako sharks have been spotted on the reef on occasion.
Marine life and season
The sources we used don't single out particular species here.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Good | Fair |
Season follows Robberg & Plettenberg Bay: September and October are the best months; onshore south-easterlies churn the sea up in summer, while winter westerlies clear the water.
Sources
- Top Dive Sites along the Garden Route – Plettenberg Bay — ProDive Plettenberg Bay
- Plettenberg Bay Diving — SA Places
More dive sites in Robberg & Plettenberg Bay
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
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
Similar dives elsewhere
A grotto of juvenile fish with a resident large moray
Three sponge-covered pinnacles off the Rooi-els shore
A flower-like anemone full of shrimps and pipefish
Ten different kinds of eel share a single reef