Uvongo diving
Uvongo is a sea resort at the South of KwaZulu-Natal province. This town has much to offer, a waterfall with a more than 66 feet (20 meters) deep pool at its foot, golden beaches and amazing dive sites. The mix of fresh (Ivungu River) and salt water (Indian Ocean) is a great environment for many kinds of flora and fauna. Shelly Beach is a magnificent place for snorkeling and scuba diving. It is the gateway to Protea Banks where you can encounter various kinds of sharks as well as loats of other marine life.
Always dive according to your level of training.
Never enter the water without checking with the local dive center for safety, additional information, level required for each dive site and without being accompanied by a professional.
All the information provided is purely informative for our readers and shouldn't be used as is to plan your immersion.
Average Water surface temperature: From 16 °C to 24°C ( 60°F to 75°F).
Average visibility: 10 to 23 feet (3 to 7 meters)
Uvongo is a great place to have your scuba diving adventure. At the point where the Ivungu River flows into the Indian Ocean, a mix of half salt-half fresh water is originated. These waters are home to fresh water Congo eels, moonies and juvenile Rock Salmon. Uvongo Lagoon with a max. depth of 72 feet (22 meters) is famous for cave diving. As its caves extend up to 98 feet (30 meters) the diving there is recommended only for advanced divers. It is ideal for technical and cave divers. Shelly Beach is great for whale and dolphin watching trips and scuba-diving.
In about 5 minutes boat ride from Shelly Beach you can reach Bo Boyi Reef, it is at a depth of 59 feet (18 meters). It has plenty of caves and overhangs that are covered with a variety of soft corals. Huge numbers of juvenile tropical fish and larger reef fish, game fish are to be found at this site. If possible, plan to dive there after the rainy season, the visibility is better in this time.Protea Banks is considered one of the best diving spots for watching sharks; you may see Zambezi, known as bull sharks, Tiger sharks and Great White sharks. Raggies can be spotted during the months of June and September. Also it is home to many kinds of aqua life including moray eels, spotted eagle rays, manta rays and large schools of pelagic fish.
The diving centers in Uvongo offer trips to Protea Banks, located in about 7km off shore. Local diving schools arrange trainings for all levels of experience from beginners to advanced courses and offer diving equipment to purchase or for rent.