SHARK DIVING PROTEA BANKS

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Shark Diving on Protea Banks is an Incredible and Absolutely Unique Experience

SHARK DIVING ON PROTEA BANKS IS An EXPERIENCE of a Life Time

Shark Diving on Protea Banks is known as one of the world’s top shark diving hotspots.

With Dive In Adventures, shark sightings and interactions on Protea Banks are almost guaranteed on every dive. We rarely have a dive without some shark encounter.

When Diving with sharks on Protea Banks, you can have close encounters with Tiger sharks, Hammerheads, Blacktips, Ragged-tooth sharks, Bull sharks and giant Guitar sharks. It’s also possible to spot Great Whites, Threshers, Copper sharks, Duskies, and Sandbar sharks, although not as often.

Dolphins are also regularly seen throughout the year, and Humpback whales give us a show during their migration season on our way to the site. We have amazing underwater encounters with these majestic animals.

The Protea Banks reef is divided into two main dive sites:

Northern Pinnacles:

The Northern Part of Protea Banks is normally dived during our winter months. The area consists of several large caverns that we refer to as the Northern Caves. The dive starts at the First Cave then moves on to the Swim Through and finally the Second Cave, after which divers ascend slowly and drift in the current.

Dive Experience & Conditions

Drift multilevel dive, Dive time is around 45 minutes and the depth about 36m at the deepest.
This Dive is for experienced dives as the current can be strong, due to this we do a negative entry and swim straight down to not miss the caves.
Best dived during winter (May–November) when ragged-tooth aggregations peak;
Visibility varies—10–40 m, often best in winter; water temps 19–23 °C .

Marine Life Highlights:

Ragged-tooth sharks (“raggies”) gather in astonishing numbers—often 100–200—in the caves May–November. In mid‑winter, the caves can seem packed:
Other sharks commonly seen include bull (Zambezi), blacktip, tiger, dusky, and hammerheads (scalloped & great)
Pelagics & reef species such as potato bass, barracudas, yellowtail, kingfish, rays, giant guitarfish, and schooling hammerheads also pass by.

Southern Pinnacles:

The Southern Pinnacles are dived primarily during the South African summer months (October to May), offering a more accessible but equally thrilling alternative to the Northern Pinnacles. This site is known for spectacular shark action, pelagic sightings, and photogenic reef topography—making it a favourite among seasoned divers and photographers alike.The Southern Pinnacles are easier to dive than the Northern area, thanks to shallower average depths and more manageable currents—but they still require experience due to drift conditions and depth.

Dive Experience & Conditions

Drift multilevel dive,
Max depth ~32 m, with an average depth of 20 m
This Dive is for experienced dives as the current can be strong.

Marine Life Highlights:

Scalloped Hammerheads: Appear in large migrating schools of hundreds, particularly from October to February
Zambezi (Bull) sharks and Oceanic Blacktips are common throughout the season
Giant Guitar Sharks gather in Sand Shark Gully, peaking in summer but present year-round in smaller numbers
Tiger Sharks make thrilling appearances between January and May
Black Ribbon Tail Rays enjoy the southern topography and are often spotted resting on the reef
Pelagics & reef species such as potato bass, barracudas, yellowtail, kingfish, rays.

Protea Banks Shark Diving Season

Hammerhead Sharks

Viewing 1000`s of Hammerheads up close on Protea Banks it is a breathtaking sight!

From September to February KwaZulu-Natal hosts one of the biggest shows on Earth – the migration of thousands, yes you read correctly, thousands of Hammerhead Sharks. This magnificent migration is mind blowing and will keep you coming back for more!!!!

Ragged-Tooth SHARKS

Ragged-tooth sharks in South Africa make an annual migration that cover more than 1000 km.

They give birth during the summer in the cold waters of Cape Town. After they pup they swim to the warm waters of KwaZulu-Natal to sites where there are suitable rocks or caves like Protea Banks and Aliwal Shoal where they mate during the colder months from May to November.

Tiger Sharks

From about January to June we are privileged to encounter the magnificent Tiger Sharks in South Africa.

They are seen naturally on a normal reef dive on both Aliwal Shoal and Protea Banks, but this is rare and usually, these encounters are very quick. If you want to see a Tiger Shark up close and personal and get great photos, then the BAITED SHARK DIVE is for you.

BULL SHARKs

The Bull shark is the only species of sharks that can live both in salt and fresh water. The Bull shark is named Zambezi in Africa because it can be found up to a 100 km into the Zambezi River.

The Zambezi is regularly present in our baited dives and a permanent resident of the reef.

Oceanic Blacktips

Another permanent habitant of Protea Banks and a certainly present on a baited dive is the Blacktip shark. They are generally calm but they can also be easily startled. They are great to dive with, but it’s important to stay alert and keep track of their location in relation to you. A sudden movement could startle them. Their black-colored fins and playful behavior make them captivating to dive with.

Other marine life

In addition to sharks Protea Banks is home to a wide variety of game and tropical fish, Friendly Potato Bass A variety of rays are also commonly sighted including Round Ribbontail Rays, Eagle Rays and Manta Rays.

From June to December, we have the privilege to see Humpback whales everywhere above and underwater!

In winter the humpback whales begin their journey from the South Pole to the tropics as they travel from the Antarctic to breed and give birth in warmer waters. They come to South African waters during this time to breed and calve, coinciding with the sardine run, which attracts a variety of marine life, including other whales. Humpback whales undertake one of the longest migrations of any mammal, traveling up to 25,000 kilometers (16,000 miles) annually. Their migration to South African waters occurs during the cooler months, typically starting in May and continuing until October.