• ABOUT THE SPOT

Snorkeling in Aliwal Shoal, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal South Africa

Depths:
12 m/39 ft
Visibility:
2-20 m/6.5- 65.6 ft
Durban is a beautiful city and the biggest one in the KwaZulu - Natal. lt has an amazing coastline, diverse landscape with the most spectacular mountain range in South Africa. Climate is sub-tropical with warm wet summers, mild frost-free winters and all year round sunshine. Its amazing sandy beaches stretch into the Indian Ocean with water temperatures at 19 degrees even during winter.

Aliwal Shoal near Umkomaas, just a 45 minutes drive from Durban is the prime snorkeling destination in South Africa. It is a reef stretch standing at 3 km / 1.8 mi in length and 1 km / 0.6 mi in width. Snorkeling depths range between 12 m / 39 ft with visibility from 2-20 m / 6.5- 65.6 ft.

The shoal is characterized by diverse sponges, soft and hard corals, and a union of warm water and cold water reef fish. Some of the amazing marine life expected is the whale shark, king fish and big sea turtles just to mention a few. Water temperatures range between 19-24°C (66 – 75 °F) and 3-7 mm wet suits are recommended.