Diving in Western Cape

Western Cape is one of nine South African provinces and it is located on the southwest coast of the country. It is the fourth largest province by area in South Africa at 129,449 square kilometers (49,981 square miles), but with over 6.5 million people, is the third most populated. Of these six million plus people, around 4 million of them live in the metro area of the province’s largest city, Cape Town.

This region has a coastline that stretches out into both the Atlantic Ocean and the Indian Ocean, creating two distinctive dive experiences, from the Cape of Good Hope on the Atlantic side to False Bay in the Indian Ocean. Expect some heavy currents and amazing shark encounters, as well as wonderful wrecks providing artificial reefs in False Bay. If you’re feeling truly brave there is even the chance to take part in cage diving with great white sharks, which is certainly not for the faint-hearted.

Whether you prefer rocks and reefs of perhaps sandy sea beds or kelp forests, you’ll find it all here, with some beautiful protected areas to explore as well. Diving in year-round, although temperatures are cooler in the winter months of June to August.

The descriptions provided here are intended as general information and personal experiences related to specific dive sites and locations and should not be construed as definitive advice or recommendations. Before diving, please confirm that diving is permitted at your chosen location, and comply with all relevant local laws, regulations, and posted signage. The responsibility for verifying the legality of the dive and assessing any associated risks rests entirely with you.