Plettenberg Bay's reefs

A shore dive begins at Plettenberg Bay.

© Pro Dive

• Email
• Tweet
• Print

Plettenberg Bay is one of South Africa’s best-known seaside resorts, famous for its gorgeous white beaches, expansive lagoons, lazy rivers and red sandstone cliffs. It’s also home to the Plettenberg Bay reefs that encircle the bay.

Plettenberg Bay boasts some of the finest soft coral reefs in the world, haunt of starfish, sponges, shellfish and one of South Africa’s star marine attractions – the rare Pansy shell.

If it’s scuba diving you’re after, then head for Pro Dive at the Beacon Isle Resort. You can hire some, or all, of your gear there, take lessons (including lessons for kids from 8 upwards) and then choose the dive the coral reef that most attracts you.

Shore dives on offer include Redbait Reef, known as the Bay’s ‘house reef’, which is great for beginners or the less-experienced diver. It’s easily accessible from the beach and its plentiful natural light is a boon to the underwater photographer.

Buy a cheap disposable underwater camera if you’ve never tried this before and snap up reef fish, cuttlefish, sharks, sea urchins, anemones and squishy sponges.

You’ll need to swim a short way to reach Shallow Blinders, a 3-pinnacled coral reef that nurtures dozens of fish. Check out ragged-tooth, pyjama and leopard sharks plus rays, octopus, cuttlefish and boxfish.

Swim a bit further out to Blinders Reef where the Wall awaits you: a technicolour dream of soft coral and its many denizens, including orange wall sponges, blue choirboys, strawberry anemones and, everywhere you look, multi-coloured coral.

If you’re a fisherman, take your rod out to sea and hope for blacktail, red roman, yellowbelly rock cod or the extremely tasty galjoen.