Robberg & Plettenberg Bay · South Africa · Pinnacle · Reef
Shallow Blinders
Three pinnacles reached on a short swim from the beach
Area photo: Theo Crazzolara · CC BY 2.0
Shallow Blinders is a large reef close to the beach in Plettenberg Bay, reached without a boat. It suits newly certified divers, photographers come for its macro life, and summer brings both a crop of young fish and visiting ragged-tooth sharks.
Also known as Shallow Blinder.
Where it is and how deep
34.0580° S, 23.3783° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The dive starts from the beach with a swim out, and rays, cuttlefish and boxfish are commonly seen on the way. The reef itself is a trio of pinnacles between 10 and 13 m, home to many fish species.
Nudibranchs, octopus, sea spiders and scorpionfish live on the rock, which makes the pinnacles good ground for macro photography. In the summer months the reef works as a nursery and ragged-tooth sharks arrive, while pyjama sharks, leopard sharks and puffadder shysharks are spotted all year round.
Marine life and season
- Stingrays
- Octopus & cuttlefish
- Nudibranchs
- Macro critters
- Sand tiger sharks
| 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.
Dive videos
Scuba Diving Shallow Blinders Plettenberg Bay. · Rynhardt Jacobs on YouTube
Questions divers ask
Can Shallow Blinders be dived from shore?+
Yes. It is a short swim from the beach to the pinnacles, which lie between 10 and 13 m.
Sources
- Top Dive Sites along the Garden Route – Plettenberg Bay — ProDive Plettenberg Bay
- OpenStreetMap — OpenStreetMap contributors
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
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
Big caves among round boulders off Robberg's island
Pinnacle
Ragged-tooth sharks around a pinnacle that breaks off Robberg Point
Similar dives elsewhere
The last coral block off Shaab Iris, averaging 14 m
Coral towers rising from 18 m to just under the surface
Pinnacles lit side-on by the dawn light, 3 m to 16 m
Three sponge-covered pinnacles off the Rooi-els shore