The Sharks of Protea Banks

[donsilcock]

South Africa has been on my personal wish list for quite some time and in the last year or so I have made three trips there - two to experience the sharks of the Protea Banks and the third for the incredible Sardine Run.

The Protea Banks are located about 8kms offshore from the town of Margate in KwaZulu Natal province on the east coast of South Africa and the diving there is not for the feint hearted.... It's deep and the currents are strong, plus the next stop is Antarctica if you get separated! But it is a biodiversity hot-spot and there are up to seven varieties of sharks to be seen there - depending on the time of the year. Some in absolutely amazing quantities!

I documented the whole experience in an extensive eight-page article that has just been published in the global dive magazine X-Ray who did a really nice job of laying it all out.

If you are interested in learning more about this special location and the sharks to be seen there you can read more and download the article on this link to the Sharks of Protea Banks article.

 

[FettSolo]

Great article (and images), thank you! Any recommendations on dive ops?

 

[donsilcock]

Thanks for the comments!

There are two operators based in the Margate/Shelly Beach area that dive the Protea Banks - African Dive Adventures and Aqua Planet.

Both my trips were done with Roland Mauz at African Dive Adventures and I was very impressed with the way he runs things. Roland and his wife Beulah started the whole thing at the Protea Banks and know the location and how to dive it safely extremely well.

No experience with Aqua Planet, so cannot really comment.

Don

 

[chillyinCanada]

Thanks Don, exciting stuff!!

 

[donsilcock]

Thanks for the feedback and yes indeed.... it's an interesting place!

 

[Christian]

Some great shots there Don. Usually variable viz there, good job.

 

[donsilcock]

Thanks Christian!

 

[Christopher_B]

Great article (and images), thank you! Any recommendations on dive ops?

We arrange all our clients' dive trips to Protea Banks with African Dive Adventures. We've been diving with Roland since 2005. It's easy to combine with Aliwal Shoal 60 miles up the coast, or Sodwana Bay, or Rocktail Beach, as you get closer to the Mozambique border. There is some great safari to be done there too. www.indigosafaris.com

 

[divingmore]

Very cool! We also dove with Roland early Jan - but were not lucky with the weather - big waves, very cloudy as a result dark and not stellar vis. We saw a few raggies and rays but no hammerheads, etc. We combined with Aliwal shoal diving with Blue Ocean dive - who were also great. Not very lucky with visibility - but still great diving lots of raggies, huge rays and we saw lots of oceanic black tips on bated dive. Aliwal &Protea banks combo is definitely a nice dive trip. Full report here Diving Aliwal Shoal, South Africa – Divingmore

 

[Sbiriguda]

I have a question concerning whales... is it possible to see them and how many chances to see them? How long they stay close to the surface? Does it make sense to dive just to see them in Protea banks without doing the sardines run, or the only way to have a good chance to see them for quite some time is to watch the sardines run when they are feeding?