PROTEA BANKS
An hour south of Umkomaas, Protea Banks is situated 7.5km out to sea from Shelly Beach. The reef lies at a depth of between 27 and 40 meters. It is about 6km long and 800m wide.
Protea Banks is situated 7.5km out to sea from Shelly Beach. The reef lies at a depth of between 27 and 40 meters. It is about 6km long and 800m wide. Essentially a fossilised sandbank which comes up from 60m. Protea Banks is one of the richest tuna grounds in the world which explains why it is so strongly frequented by Zambezi (Bull) sharks. Almost all year round they patrol the reef in search of food, only making themselves scarce in October and sometimes September. What's different from a Tiger shark dive is that on the latter one usually gets one, two or three Tigers that stay around the bait throughout the dive. On a Bull shark dive it is common to get from 5 to 15 fish.
Between October and May, Scalloped Hammerheads swim up and down the reef in schools that at times are often hundreds strong, sometimes thousands of animals just keep coming. It is such a sight when you see their silhouettes against the rays of the sun. Although generally shy the Great Hammerhead also makes an appearance from time to time. Baited shark dives are also possible at Protea Banks year round, and when there are no Tiger sharks around there are Bull sharks 10 or 11 months of the year.
Behind a school of Barracudas you could see five or six Blacktip sharks darting in and out of your vision. These beautiful marked and streamlined fish always seem to be playing hide and seek with the divers and they behave just like underwater puppies.
When the slow but steady current takes you past Sand Shark Gulley, you will encounter a sandy patch the size of a rugby field, here you can at times see as many as 60 Giant Guitarsharks. The Raggedtooth sharks (fondly called Raggies in South Africa or Sandtiger sharks in the USA) can also be seen in large numbers of around 100 to 200 at a time during their breeding season from May to November in and around the caves on the Northern Pinnacle. Their friendly and inquisitive nature has made them a firm favourite with many divers.
And topping the list is the magnificent Tiger Shark. This perfectly built and beautifully striped creature often makes an impressive appearance on Protea, generally best between February and May.
If Sharks are what you are looking for then this is the dive spot for you, and it combines easily with diving on Aliwal Shoal, an hour north, and with a Big Five safari 4 fours to the north.
Protea Banks is situated 7.5km out to sea from Shelly Beach. The reef lies at a depth of between 27 and 40 meters. It is about 6km long and 800m wide. Essentially a fossilised sandbank which comes up from 60m. Protea Banks is one of the richest tuna grounds in the world which explains why it is so strongly frequented by Zambezi (Bull) sharks. Almost all year round they patrol the reef in search of food, only making themselves scarce in October and sometimes September. What's different from a Tiger shark dive is that on the latter one usually gets one, two or three Tigers that stay around the bait throughout the dive. On a Bull shark dive it is common to get from 5 to 15 fish.
Between October and May, Scalloped Hammerheads swim up and down the reef in schools that at times are often hundreds strong, sometimes thousands of animals just keep coming. It is such a sight when you see their silhouettes against the rays of the sun. Although generally shy the Great Hammerhead also makes an appearance from time to time. Baited shark dives are also possible at Protea Banks year round, and when there are no Tiger sharks around there are Bull sharks 10 or 11 months of the year.
Behind a school of Barracudas you could see five or six Blacktip sharks darting in and out of your vision. These beautiful marked and streamlined fish always seem to be playing hide and seek with the divers and they behave just like underwater puppies.
When the slow but steady current takes you past Sand Shark Gulley, you will encounter a sandy patch the size of a rugby field, here you can at times see as many as 60 Giant Guitarsharks. The Raggedtooth sharks (fondly called Raggies in South Africa or Sandtiger sharks in the USA) can also be seen in large numbers of around 100 to 200 at a time during their breeding season from May to November in and around the caves on the Northern Pinnacle. Their friendly and inquisitive nature has made them a firm favourite with many divers.
And topping the list is the magnificent Tiger Shark. This perfectly built and beautifully striped creature often makes an impressive appearance on Protea, generally best between February and May.
If Sharks are what you are looking for then this is the dive spot for you, and it combines easily with diving on Aliwal Shoal, an hour north, and with a Big Five safari 4 fours to the north.
shark seasons of protea banks
water temperature
PROTEA BANKS ITINERARIES
These are sample itineraries and can be modified to your requirements.
DIVING
6-day Protea Banks Shark Diving
5 nights’ B&B in Margate, 7 reef and wreck dives, 2 baited cageless shark dives, car hire with full insurance
from ZAR 9,700 per person
Interactive itinerary here
5 nights’ B&B in Margate, 7 reef and wreck dives, 2 baited cageless shark dives, car hire with full insurance
from ZAR 9,700 per person
Interactive itinerary here
DIVING & SAFARI COMBINATIONS
15 days South African Sharks and Safari
14 reef and wreck, 4 baited cageless shark dives in Protea Banks & Aliwal Shoal, 3 nights' safari with 2 daily safari drives, hire car from ZAR 36,070 per person Interactive itinerary here |
15 days Best of KZN South African Sharks and Safari
15 reef & 4 baited cageless shark dives at Protea Banks, Aliwal Shoal & Sodwana Bay, 3 nights’ safari with 2 daily safari drives, hire car from ZAR 32,600 per person Interactive itinerary here |
