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South Africa - Discover the extraordinary dive sites of Sodwana Bay!

By : Bart Lukasik | Duration : 7min 10sec | Channel : Diving Trips
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Sodwana is situated on the north-east coastline of South Africa, amidst Isimangaliso Wetland Park.

Classified as one of the top dive sites in the world, but still largely unexplored, this 50 km reef complex boasts around 95 species of hard and soft coral, sponges, other invertebrates and around 1200 fish species.

In one of the submarine canyons just outside of the reef complex on 27 November 2000 the coelacanth a prehistoric fish, was rediscovered.

Sodwana is diveable all year with the best conditions being experienced during warm summer months from November to May.

The reefs at Sodwana are named after their distance from the launch site, which is unique in itself, as boats (rubber ducks) launch from a sandy beach and go through the surf and waves. Some days it can be challenging but very rewarding in the end.

This is one of the few places in the world where you can have a lot of adventures before even getting to the dive site. During the boat ride you feel like a NAVY Seal commando. There's also a chance to encounter the biggest fish in the world - the whale shark - as well as pods of dolphins - feel free to jump off the boat and snorkel/freedive with them!

Topography : Most dives are conducted on flat reefs with a lot of different coral structures, bommies, overhangs and swimthroughs. Further reefs (7 and 9 Mile) offer stunning topography consisting of walls, mushroom-like structures and caves.

Visibility : Variable, mostly good to very good, depending on the currents and wind. During summer season it can easily reach 40m.

Depth of Dives : 5-105m.

Marine life : Indian Ocean reef species together with colder water species. Humpback Whales, Ragged Tooth Sharks, Whale Sharks, Tiger Sharks, Manta Rays, Leatherback Turtles, Zambezi Sharks.

Dive operator: Reefteach, reefteach.co.za. Shot on SONY CX-700 camera with AQUATICA/AMPHIBICO NEW WAVE housing, edited on MSI GT780DXR laptop.

For any further information about diving in Sodwana Bay or interest in organizing a dive trip/holiday in this location contact Bart at bartlukasikvideo@gmail.com or visit Bart's website.

© Bart Lukasik - www.bartlukasik.tumblr.com / Music by Massive Attack vs. Mad Professor - Cool Monsoon