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MapSpeciesParksDiving
  1. Home
  2. Diving and snorkelling
  4. South Africa
  5. Sodwana Bay
Tropical reefUNESCO World HeritageMarine Protected Area

Sodwana Bay

Near iSimangaliso

Depth: 8–30 mLevel: Open WaterAll year round
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South Africa's only genuinely tropical dive site and the southernmost coral reef on the continent. The sites are named by their distance from the launch point: Two Mile, Five Mile, Seven Mile, Nine Mile.

Depth

8–30 m

Recommended level

Open Water

Average visibility

15 m

Protection status

Sodwana Bay National Park, within the iSimangaliso Wetland Park

UNESCO designation

World Heritage Site (iSimangaliso Wetland Park, the first South African property to be inscribed; around 332,000 ha)

Sources consulted: Wikipedia (Sodwana Bay National Park / Protea Banks MPA) · iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority · SeaCrush · Mozambique Experience · Jenman Safaris

Location

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1 park within 30 km.

Sodwana Bay: 21 documented species

Ecosystem

Reef

Nearby parks

What is there to see on land, near this site?

15 km away

Similar dive sites

Which other dive sites are like this one?

Same country: South Africa

Same country: South Africa

Same country: South Africa

Keep exploring

Based on what we already know about this dive site.

Share your experience diving or snorkelling at Sodwana Bay.

Water temperature

24 °C

Current

Moderate

Access

Shore/Boat

Best season

All year round

Recommended certification

Open Water

Approx. price

55 USD / dive

Plan your dive

Best season
All year round
Approx. price
55 USD / dive
See location

Same country: South Africa

South Africa · KwaZulu-Natal
See on the interactive map→
Humpback WhaleLeast Concern

Humpback Whale

Megaptera novaeangliae

Portuguese Man-of-warNot Evaluated

Portuguese Man-of-war

Physalia physalis

CoelacanthCritically Endangered

Coelacanth

Latimeria chalumnae

Bottlenose DolphinLeast Concern

Bottlenose Dolphin

Tursiops truncatus

Blue GlaucusNot Evaluated

Blue Glaucus

Glaucus atlanticus

Reef Manta RayVulnerable

Reef Manta Ray

Mobula alfredi

Moon JellyfishNot Evaluated

Moon Jellyfish

Aurelia aurita

Mediterranean MusselNot Evaluated

Mediterranean Mussel

Mytilus galloprovincialis

Humphead WrasseEndangered

Humphead Wrasse

Cheilinus undulatus

Bryde's WhaleLeast Concern

Bryde's Whale

Balaenoptera edeni

Whale SharkEndangered

Whale Shark

Rhincodon typus

Scalloped HammerheadCritically Endangered

Scalloped Hammerhead

Sphyrna lewini

See all 21 species found here

iSimangaliso

UNESCO
Reef/Sardine Run

Cape Vidal

South Africa

Up to 25 m · Advanced Open Water

Dolphins · sharks and seabirds during the Sardine Run

See dive site
Rocky reef

Aliwal Shoal

South Africa

Up to 30 m · Advanced Open Water

Grey nurse shark (raggie) in breeding aggregations · oceanic blacktip shark all year round

See dive site
Deep rocky reef

Protea Banks

South Africa

Up to 40 m · Advanced

Seven species of shark aggregate here · among them hammerheads

See dive site
ParkiSimangaliso15 km away
CountrySouth Africa
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Nearby park (15 km away)iSimangaliso
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Cold-water kelp forest

Cape Town Kelp Forest

South Africa

Up to 20 m · Advanced Open Water

Octopus · pyjama sharks

See dive site
Ocean
World Heritage
Marine protected area