Marine Life Nursery
Vetch’s Pier is a man-made marine structure that curves outwards for about 500 m. It was a failed £160 000 attempt by Captain James Vetch to build a breakwater, but today it is better known for the large crayfish, eels, octopuses and small tropical reef fish which divers encounter here.
Be wary of Scorpionfish and Lionfish, and, due to its shallowness, this dive site has a heavy surge. Vetch’s Pier is an ideal place to see a nursery for marine life.
Average depth: 3 m.
Maximum depth: 6 m.
Caves
Caves is possibly the best and most exhilarating dive site off the Durban coastline. The dive consists of an undersea bed cave system which runs for approximately 80m adjacent to the shoreline. Situated on Blood Reef, it is a shallow reef with holes in the bedrock that have been eroded to form a cave with a vault-like appearance. Collapsed sandstone formations have formed various caves and gullies. The boiling effect created by the blowholes on the reef makes it easy to spot just beyond the breaker line. Caves is a very interesting reef to explore.
Average depth: 10 m.
Maximum depth: 12 m.