Diving

Sodwana Bay is the diving paradise in South Africa and offers many different reefs with different depths. So there is something for every diver regardless certifications. 

Here are some dive sites:

Jesser Point
Jesser Point is the rocky point at the southern corner of the bay, where the boats launch from.

There are lovely rock pools to be found here and also some amazing sealife to be seen when snorkelling along the inside edge on low tide. Just be aware and make sure that you don't venture too far from the rocks and into the boat launching area. It's also a great place to fish off the rocks on low tide or cast a line into the bay on high tide. Remember you need to buy a fishing permit.

Quarter Mile Reef, Depth 8-13m

This very shallow,rocky reef is the extension of Jesser point (the rocks at the corner of the bay) It is the hunting ground for cruising kingfish and large rays and guitarfish are frequent visitors. You will often also see turtles & if you are lucky maybe even a passing whaleshark or manta ray.

During the summer varying numbers of pregnant female ragged-tooth sharks congregate here and depending on how settled they are divers are sometimes lucky enough to dive with these amazing docile creatures.

Stringer, Depth 10-13m

Stringer is situated just beyond the backline and is generally best dived in flat conditions and when there is not too much current. It is like an oasis in the desert – 2 rocky outcroppings surrounded by sand. Gamefish are frequent vistors and Stringer is also a nursery area for juvenile fish. It is home to myriad creatures – including paperfish, frogfish, harlquin shrimp, an abundance of rays, potato bass, moray eels, juvenile emperor angelfish, mulitple cleaning stations and much more. Be warned - the camera loving potato bass will hardly let you get a shot of anything else!

Bikini & surrounds, Depth 20m 

Bikini Reef lies just out to sea of the southern end of 2 Mile reef. It is dived in 3 main areas - the Northen Wall, Mellow Yellow on the southern end and Hopscotch, the deeper arm lying out to sea.

The cleaning station on the northern wall is a macro photographers dream, while huge schools of yellow snappers hang lazily in the nutrient rich mid waters on the southern end, giving it the name " Mellow Yellow"

2 Mile Reef, Depth 8-18m

Located just a couple of minutes boat ride from the launch site, 2 Mile is one of the most popular reefs to dive in Sodwana.

Stretching for over 1.8km long and almost 900 metres wide in places, it is a vast reef complex and has a variety of different sites & something to offer everyone - beautiful and varied topography ranges from pinnacles to swim throughs, rocky outcroppings, large sand patches and caves. The many dive sites lie adjacent to one another, so when there is a current you can often cover multiple sites in one drift dive. It is so vast and the routes so varied that no matter how often you dive 2 Mile you will still find new places & discover amazing new sections of this reef. The outer edge of 2 Mile gradually drops deeper and this area is known as Sponge reef, Deep sponge is a popular dive site at 32 metres.

​Some of the fish you can expect to see include potato bass, snapper, trumpetfish, angelfish, frogfish, surgeonfish, clownfish, moray eels, shrimp, nudibranchs.....and MANY more. Below are some of the main dive sites located on 2 Mile Reef.

5 Mile, includes following reefs:

• Ribbon, Depth 18-20m

Ribbon consists of 2 small sections of reef surrounded by sand, quite similar to Stringer- small ribbon to the north and big ribbon to the south. Located only a couple of hundred metres from the shore it lies in about 20 metres of water. It gets its name from the unusual Ribbon eels that can frequently be spotted here. It's also a great place to see rays and also the pelagic fish that frequently visit it

• Lettuce Reef, Depth 30m

Lettuce is one coral which is 50 meters long and what makes it special is that this coral should not be growing at this depth. There will be a good chance to see shark and rock cod fish. 

• Hot Spots, Depth 10-13m

Stringer is situated just beyond the backline and is generally best dived in flat conditions and when there is not too much current. It is like an oasis in a desert – 2 rocky outcroppings surrounded by sand. Gamefish are frequent vistors and stringer also a nursery area for juvenile fish.are hiome to myriad creatures – includinf paperfish, an abundance of rays, potato bass, moray eels, juvemile emperor angelfish and much more. Be warned - the camera loving potato bass will hardly let you get a shot of anything else!

7 Mile Reef, Depth 18-25m

One of Sodwana 's most popular dive sites, Drop in on the steep northern wall, explore the sunken amphitheatre - a treasure trove of corals, fish, hanging trumpet fish and if there's current drift all the way down to mushroom rocks on the Southern end. Reef sharks are frequent visitors and a few divers have even been lucky enough to spot the occasional Great White here. 7 mile truly is like seventh heaven.

Goldies, snapper, potato bass, trumpetfsih, angelfish, turtles, eels.....

9 Mile Reef, Depth 18-22m

Well known for the huge green coral tree, which stands about 2.5 metres high and is engulfed by Goldies, 9 mile is the furthest reef that is dived in Sodwana Bay. Full of fascinating caves, overhangs and swim throughs – it is home to many large resident potato bass & brindle bass. The reef comes right up to the surface at Breaking waters on the southern side and when accessible, on perfect, flat calm days this makes for a mind

NEMO Lodge works in cooperation with Scuba Center, which means you can book your dives through us and we will arrange everything for you.

On your arrival please feel free to chat with us.