Scuba Diving at Thonga Beach Lodge

Mabibi lies adjacent to Africa’s southern-most coral reefs making it the only tropical dive site in South Africa. In global terms, Mabibi offers some of the best diving in the world, but it has gone largely unnoticed because of its remoteness. Even in South Africa it has remained secluded and so divers are guaranteed an exciting underwater experience.

More than 1,200 species of fish are found on the reefs off Mabibi, including Moorish idols, parrot fish, blue surgeons and marble and manta rays. The warm Indian Ocean waters also attract huge schools of bottlenose dolphin as well as sharks, whale sharks and turtles. Thonga Beach Lodge, which is part of the Isimangaliso Wetland Park, falls within a protected marine reserve. Because of its protected status, the reefs boast shoals of fish that don’t panic when divers approach and are ideal subjects for photographers. The reefs offer a diversity of underwater seascapes including amazing flora, branching, table and plate corals, beautiful overhangs, drop-offs and mushroom-shaped pinnacles.

Conditions are good throughout the year and on a brilliant day visibility can reach up to 40m. The weather is typically subtropical so the water temperature is usually above 20C and in summer can reach 29C. Thonga Beach Lodge has the exclusive right to launch a boat from its private beach - a mere 75m from the lodge.

Address: Thonga Beach Lodge, Mabibi / Lake Sibaya, Elephant Coast, KwaZulu Natal.

Scuba Diving in South Africa

Scuba Diving in South Africa - There is nothing quite like the absolute beauty of scuba diving in South Africa. The sea life and intricate reefs you’ll observe when scuba diving in South Africa will leave you reeling in disbelief. South Africa is an ideal location for some spectacular scuba diving as it has an extensive coastline with widely varied conditions and water temperatures.

The Mozambiquan current that flows down the eastern side of South Africa brings a warm current down this coastline and therefore makes the waters ideal to spot great white sharks, whales, whale sharks, dolphins, turtles, manta and eagle rays, and naturally beautiful coral reefs too.

There are so many places to enjoy scuba diving in South Africa. There are dive schools in almost every city in South Africa providing all the efficient training and equipment you need. Cape Town’s water is extremely cold but do not let that deter you. Cape Town oceans contain the most beautiful kelp forests. There are three main types of kelp known to man and this part of the Western Cape coast is the only place in the world that they all grow together. Diving in kelp is like walking in a forest. You float beneath the canopy and admire the astonishingly colourful reef life.

Just off Cape Town, divers regularly see anemones in colours ranging from electric blue or deep red to pale pink, as well as nudibranchs of all sorts of radiant colours and a whole assortment of small creatures in and around the bright orange and sulphur yellow sponges.

Near Johannesburg and in Mpumalanga there are inland dive resorts where students have the opportunity to do dive training in an abandoned quarry. There are also a wide variety of scuba diving resorts in South Africa like Rocktail Bay and Sodwana Bay.

Dive South Africa offers numerous scuba diving adventures and safaris. The safaris are run from the dive lodge and offer comfortable and great quality accommodation and scrumptious food. You will have fantastic opportunities to see the wrecks and caves of South Africa and go diving with sharks. Dive South Africa even offers tailor-made safari’s to suit your time and budget. Adventure Diving Safari’s offer awesome scuba diving safari’s and holidays to South Africa and Mozambique. Coral Divers in Sodwana Bay in KwaZulu Natal operate a dive camp and offer numerous dive packages, equipment hire, as well as various PADI dive courses. Dive the Big Five offer tour packages and safaris that put forward all kinds of diving around South Africa, from reef to wreck, shark and cage diving.

No matter where you choose to scuba dive in South Africa, we guarantee an unforgettable time. An underwater camera is a definite so you can capture the astonishingly beautiful marine life in South African waters.

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