Diving in the Shelly Beach area is a highly popular activity. There are various dive spots that will delight beginners and novices alike. Here are some of the top spots:
Northern Cave
Average depth: 33m
Northern Cave is situated near the northern pinnacle of Protea Banks and is known as a good spot for game fishing. Here you will find a large cave and a ledge where sharks rest and dwell during the day. This reef doesn’t have a lot of soft coral, but palmate sea fans can be seen.
The hard types of coral such as Whip coral, Plate coral and Porous coral are found in this area with lots of seagrass all along the bottom. Game fish are the big attraction of this reef, with Kingfish, Barracuda and Redfang triggerfish likely to be seen, while you may also encounter Zambezi (Bull) shark, Ragged-tooth (June to November), Blacktip, Tiger and schooling Hammerhead sharks depending on the season.
Kingfish Gully
Average depth: 30m
Scattered rock formations and an overhanging rock are home to large shoals of Kingfish, Yellowtail, Kaakap, Sea pike tunny, Potato bass and many more species. Between October and November, Humpback whales can be seen playing in the deeper parts of the Protea Banks, while large schools of Smooth hammerhead sharks are a common sight in this area.
Hard coral such as Staghorn, Leather and Whip coral can be seen on the hard surfaces of the reef and soft coral like sponges and sea urchins are found in the crevices. An array of game fish is readily spotted on this reef.
Southern Cave
Average depth: 30m
Southern Cave is situated in the southern pinnacle area of Protea Banks. It is a rugged reef area that has lots of rocks and holes in the reef. This area is home to the Zambezi shark (Bull) which is what Protea Banks has become famous for. From October to May, some very large Zambezi sharks can be encountered here. Scalloped hammerhead sharks are also seen shoaling at this time and they often come past in as many as several hundred at a time.
Hunting packs of Great hammerheads check out the divers and Blacktips playfully dart in and out of the diver’s vision. There are also occasional visits from Copper, Mako and White sharks. According to the locals, April and May are the best months to encounter Tiger sharks in the area. The main attraction is the sharks, but other interesting fish species, such as Kingfish, Snappers, Rubberlips, Moorish idols and Redfang triggerfish can also be seen.