Diving in Port Elizabeth

Port Elizabeth’s oceans can be very volatile, but it can offer some of the most amazing dives!

 

 

The Algoa Bay area has two main diving areas, that consist of the Bay itself and the Wildside, which lies to the west of Cape Receife.  Diving conditions in Port Elizabeth are greatly influenced by seasonal changes.  The Bay is a transition zone between the warm current that runs down the east coast and the cold current that runs from the west coast.  This creates two distinctive dive environments on each side of the coastline.  Winter is traditionally the best time to dive Port Elizabeth with an average visibility of 5m – 8m in the Bay and between 10 – 15m on the Wildside.

 

 

The average water temperature varies between 15 and 19 degrees, the Wildside is known for its thermoclines of 11 degrees on deeper dives.  Port Elizabeth is definitely a destination for macro photography!

 

 

The rocky reefs inside the Bay are covered in soft corals, sponges and sea fans. The Raggered Tooth Sharks makes the Bay their home between November and May. They are always a welcome sight for the divers. Due to the nutrient rich water that feeds the reefs of the Wildside, the growth of false and hard corals are prolific. The noble coral that grows here in abundance is in fact the only hard coral in Southern Africa that grows in cold water.  A large variety of nudibranchs can be found both in the Bay and on the Wildside. The dramatic rock formations of the reefs make for interesting dives for all levels of scuba divers, with depths ranging from 5m to 40m. 

 

 

To book your dive experience in Nelson Mandela Bay use the Nelson Mandela Bay Pass Card contact Nelson Mandela Bay Tourism or Ocean Divers International PE. 

Pass holders can choose from the following:

1. Free Discover scuba or refresher diving course.
2. Free Discover scuba or refresher diving course including one ocean dive, equipment rental, transfers to and from dive location

Prior booking is essential and weather dependant. Contact ODI. Tel: 041 581 5121 or E-mail: dive@odipe.co.za