DIVING PONTA DO OURO
Ponta do Ouro has some great sites, with reefs ranging in depth from 10m at Crèche to 47m at Atlantis with diverse and plentiful marine life, 1km to 12km in distance from the launch site on the main beach. The shallower reefs are made up up boulders and fossilised sandstone covered in soft coral, hard coral, sponges and invertebrates. Marine life ranges from the tiniest shrimps to beautiful nudibranchs, leaffish, scorpionfish, lionfish, triggerfish, surgeonfish, eels, frogfish, numerous potato bass (groupers), dolphins, mantas, turtles and up to 19 shark species, including whale sharks.
It is accessed either from South Africa, either self-driving from the border to the village, or with a pre-arranged transfer (often the most economical and less stressful way) from South Africa or Maputo, the capital of Mozambique now only a 2-hour drive away, thanks to the new road opened in 2019. It's great on its own or combined with diving at Aliwal Shoal, Sodwana Bay, in South Africa and/or a Big Five safari.
It is accessed either from South Africa, either self-driving from the border to the village, or with a pre-arranged transfer (often the most economical and less stressful way) from South Africa or Maputo, the capital of Mozambique now only a 2-hour drive away, thanks to the new road opened in 2019. It's great on its own or combined with diving at Aliwal Shoal, Sodwana Bay, in South Africa and/or a Big Five safari.
PONTA Do OURO DIVE SITES
Doodles
A 15-minute ride from the beach, depth ranges between 14m and 18m. and life includes a variety of game fish, moray eels, mantis shrimp, octopus, potato bass and rays. The reef is sandstone covered with soft coral, sponges and hard coral. At times, this reef can be invaded by so many snappers, scad and small pelagic fish that you can’t see the reef for all the fish. This abundance of food attracts various game fish and shark species to the reef.
It is also a magnet for rays needing a clean from the abundant butterfly and angelfish on the reef, and in three dives here I saw southern stingrays, leopard rays, a whiptail ray, and a diamond ray, as well as three female groupers, porcupine fish, green and hawksbill turtles and some abundant macro life.
Atlantis
The polar extreme of Doodles, as the depth of this 300m long reef is between 38m and 47m. Atlantis is for experienced divers with an advanced or deep diving qualification only and being 3km from the shore, currents can be quite strong. The topography along the edges of this reef is very interesting with drop-offs and boulders on the sand. Black coral, green tree coral are present and common visitors are Marbled rockcod, Bull shark, Blacktip reef shark, Black coral, Spanish dancers, Kingfish, Sawthooth barracuda, Royal seaapple, Trumpet fish, and jellyfish.
Steps
The depth at Steps goes from 13m at the top, tumbling into overhangs and cracks at 16m on the sand. This reef is narrow (10m to 20m wide), and runs 4km along the inside of the bay. Due to its length, it an ideal dive on days with a strong current. Natal knife jaw, cave bass, green job fish and leaf fish are just some of the species found here. Blue spotted and round ribbon tail rays lie basking in the sand while the odd devil ray can be seen swimming along the fringes of the reef.
Steve’s Ledge
An extension of Steps, this long, thin reef ranges in depth from 14m to 19m. Anemones host clownfish, anemone crabs and shrimps. Fish life includes blue banded snappers, goatfish, trumpetfish and angelfish.
Checkers
Checkers is another reef in the 15m to 18m range. Whilst the topography is far from unique, the marine life inside this horseshoe reef is excellent Clouds of blue-banded snappers, anthias and yellow back fusiliers hang out here and frogfish and the elusive pineapplefish have also been spotted here.
Creche
A firm favourite with novice divers when there is no swell, the site takes it moniker its moniker from the abundance of juvenile fish found there. The average depth here is 12m, with shallower sections of the reef coming up to 10mwith different-sized boulders and rocks on a sandy bottom. Fish life includes potato bass, crocodile fish, scorpionfish and green job fish and ragged-tooth sharks have also been spotted here.
Pinnacles
Themain dive site for seeing sharks in shark season (October to April). Popular with fishermen, divers and sea life, the area abounds with life during the summer months. Located 3.5km off the dunes of southern Mozambique, because the Pinnacles rise off the depths floor from 50m to 29m, the area acts as an magnet drawing fish to the area and it can attract large numbers of bull sharks. So far a surprising 19 species of shark have been identified in the area. Out of season, when you re the only diver qualified to go deep on a boat of novices, you may not always get there, but in shark season it is visited very frequently and with much success.
A deep reef starting 28m dropping off to over 40m, huge potato bass congregate here, together with game fish which attract sharks of all descriptions, especially Zambezi (Bull), Hammerheads and the odd Tiger shark. Mantas are also seen here, coming in for a clean, and with viz is usually around the 30m mark, it is a firm favourite of many a visiting diver.
As well as the sites off Ponta do Ouro, it is also easy to reach the sites of Ponta Malongane and Ponta Mamoli in Back t o Basics; RIB., with each spot offer more variety.
PONTA MALONGANE SITES
Cloudbreak
A long flat coral reef busy with sharks and game fish plus all the usual suspects seen on a deep dive. Depths can reach up to 45 metres (147 feet) suitable for advanced divers with experience in unpredictable currents.
The Three Sisters is just off the point and reaches a depth of 26 metres (85 feet). There are three big boulders, an overhang and a cleaning station. Shrimp life is good and you could also spot Surgeon Fish, Long Nose Hawk Fish and even Giant Honeycomb Moray.
Wayne’s World
Has a great swim through and plenty of coral. You'll see Frog Fish and Potato Bass, Rays and King Fish to name a few. Depths reach 29 metres though so this is another more advanced site.
Kev’s Ledge
Provides a good drift. With slow changes in depth and multiple levels to adjust to while exploring a series of widely spaced ridges with different features, it’s always a fun dive, and I was joined by a beautiful butterfly ray and then an inquisitive hawksbill turtle. . The average depth is 24 metres (78 feet), so it’s ideal for Nitrox.
PONTA MAMOLI SITES
Bass City
For advanced divers, thid is wonderful if you want to see plenty of fish. The series of algae-covered rocky outcrops attract an amazing array of marine life including more friendly Potato Bass. Other fish often spotted are Lionfish, juvenile Boxfish, Harlequin Shrimp and Zebra shark to name a few. There are plenty of cleaning stations, some boulders, overhangs and also an intriguing sandy floor at around 25 metres deep.
Playground
offers an abundant and diverse range of marine life - wonderful for a night dives and shallow dives in good conditions for Open Water divers. There is a central cave and also other nooks and crannies. The depth is 12 metres (39 feet) and you could see Fusiliers, Soldierfish and Big Eye Stumpnose also Honeycomb Stingrays and Sand Sharks, brilliant Nudibranchs as well as hard and soft corals.
Conditions
RIB launches can be a little sporty, but for anyone used to Aliwal Shoal or Protea Banks, they are an anti-climatic affair. For the novice, they are a fun start to any dive.
The water temperature ranges from 21 ºC, with visibility of15 to 25+ meters in winter, from April to August. In summer, 29ºC with15 to 20 metres viz is to be expected.
A 15-minute ride from the beach, depth ranges between 14m and 18m. and life includes a variety of game fish, moray eels, mantis shrimp, octopus, potato bass and rays. The reef is sandstone covered with soft coral, sponges and hard coral. At times, this reef can be invaded by so many snappers, scad and small pelagic fish that you can’t see the reef for all the fish. This abundance of food attracts various game fish and shark species to the reef.
It is also a magnet for rays needing a clean from the abundant butterfly and angelfish on the reef, and in three dives here I saw southern stingrays, leopard rays, a whiptail ray, and a diamond ray, as well as three female groupers, porcupine fish, green and hawksbill turtles and some abundant macro life.
Atlantis
The polar extreme of Doodles, as the depth of this 300m long reef is between 38m and 47m. Atlantis is for experienced divers with an advanced or deep diving qualification only and being 3km from the shore, currents can be quite strong. The topography along the edges of this reef is very interesting with drop-offs and boulders on the sand. Black coral, green tree coral are present and common visitors are Marbled rockcod, Bull shark, Blacktip reef shark, Black coral, Spanish dancers, Kingfish, Sawthooth barracuda, Royal seaapple, Trumpet fish, and jellyfish.
Steps
The depth at Steps goes from 13m at the top, tumbling into overhangs and cracks at 16m on the sand. This reef is narrow (10m to 20m wide), and runs 4km along the inside of the bay. Due to its length, it an ideal dive on days with a strong current. Natal knife jaw, cave bass, green job fish and leaf fish are just some of the species found here. Blue spotted and round ribbon tail rays lie basking in the sand while the odd devil ray can be seen swimming along the fringes of the reef.
Steve’s Ledge
An extension of Steps, this long, thin reef ranges in depth from 14m to 19m. Anemones host clownfish, anemone crabs and shrimps. Fish life includes blue banded snappers, goatfish, trumpetfish and angelfish.
Checkers
Checkers is another reef in the 15m to 18m range. Whilst the topography is far from unique, the marine life inside this horseshoe reef is excellent Clouds of blue-banded snappers, anthias and yellow back fusiliers hang out here and frogfish and the elusive pineapplefish have also been spotted here.
Creche
A firm favourite with novice divers when there is no swell, the site takes it moniker its moniker from the abundance of juvenile fish found there. The average depth here is 12m, with shallower sections of the reef coming up to 10mwith different-sized boulders and rocks on a sandy bottom. Fish life includes potato bass, crocodile fish, scorpionfish and green job fish and ragged-tooth sharks have also been spotted here.
Pinnacles
Themain dive site for seeing sharks in shark season (October to April). Popular with fishermen, divers and sea life, the area abounds with life during the summer months. Located 3.5km off the dunes of southern Mozambique, because the Pinnacles rise off the depths floor from 50m to 29m, the area acts as an magnet drawing fish to the area and it can attract large numbers of bull sharks. So far a surprising 19 species of shark have been identified in the area. Out of season, when you re the only diver qualified to go deep on a boat of novices, you may not always get there, but in shark season it is visited very frequently and with much success.
A deep reef starting 28m dropping off to over 40m, huge potato bass congregate here, together with game fish which attract sharks of all descriptions, especially Zambezi (Bull), Hammerheads and the odd Tiger shark. Mantas are also seen here, coming in for a clean, and with viz is usually around the 30m mark, it is a firm favourite of many a visiting diver.
As well as the sites off Ponta do Ouro, it is also easy to reach the sites of Ponta Malongane and Ponta Mamoli in Back t o Basics; RIB., with each spot offer more variety.
PONTA MALONGANE SITES
Cloudbreak
A long flat coral reef busy with sharks and game fish plus all the usual suspects seen on a deep dive. Depths can reach up to 45 metres (147 feet) suitable for advanced divers with experience in unpredictable currents.
The Three Sisters is just off the point and reaches a depth of 26 metres (85 feet). There are three big boulders, an overhang and a cleaning station. Shrimp life is good and you could also spot Surgeon Fish, Long Nose Hawk Fish and even Giant Honeycomb Moray.
Wayne’s World
Has a great swim through and plenty of coral. You'll see Frog Fish and Potato Bass, Rays and King Fish to name a few. Depths reach 29 metres though so this is another more advanced site.
Kev’s Ledge
Provides a good drift. With slow changes in depth and multiple levels to adjust to while exploring a series of widely spaced ridges with different features, it’s always a fun dive, and I was joined by a beautiful butterfly ray and then an inquisitive hawksbill turtle. . The average depth is 24 metres (78 feet), so it’s ideal for Nitrox.
PONTA MAMOLI SITES
Bass City
For advanced divers, thid is wonderful if you want to see plenty of fish. The series of algae-covered rocky outcrops attract an amazing array of marine life including more friendly Potato Bass. Other fish often spotted are Lionfish, juvenile Boxfish, Harlequin Shrimp and Zebra shark to name a few. There are plenty of cleaning stations, some boulders, overhangs and also an intriguing sandy floor at around 25 metres deep.
Playground
offers an abundant and diverse range of marine life - wonderful for a night dives and shallow dives in good conditions for Open Water divers. There is a central cave and also other nooks and crannies. The depth is 12 metres (39 feet) and you could see Fusiliers, Soldierfish and Big Eye Stumpnose also Honeycomb Stingrays and Sand Sharks, brilliant Nudibranchs as well as hard and soft corals.
Conditions
RIB launches can be a little sporty, but for anyone used to Aliwal Shoal or Protea Banks, they are an anti-climatic affair. For the novice, they are a fun start to any dive.
The water temperature ranges from 21 ºC, with visibility of15 to 25+ meters in winter, from April to August. In summer, 29ºC with15 to 20 metres viz is to be expected.