Instant Reader Report
on Dive the Big 5 / [same] in
Africa / South Africa on
2002/09
by
Joseph Puglia , Fl, USA
Report Number 030913131602421

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 Carribean, Red Sea, Micornesia, Solomons 

Dive Conditions

Recreational limits  

[None]  

Overall Rating

This trip was a diving/safari trip combined.  Dive the Big 5 handled all
the arrangements.  We booked through Reef and Rainforest and Kisten was a
big help.  

We dove at the Cape of Good Hope with a local dive shop.  We encountered
seals, pajama sharks and beautiful colors.  The water was cool 55F.  We
rented wet suits and I would not do that again.  They fit poorly; we got
cold quickly.  The diving was fun.  That same day we saw Penguins and
toured the cape.  A great experience.

We then moved to Grootbos and Gansbaii for Great White Shark diving.  Our
first dive day was a chamber of commerce day, sun shining a nice 78-80F
air temp.  We dove with Great White Shark Company.  The Great Whites were
an experience of a life time.  I not sure which was better; in the cage or
on the boat.  We had sharks all day!  Nancy, my wife and dive buddy, was
jumping with exitement!  Our second day of shark diving had significantly
worse conditions but the sharks were just as exciting.  The diving is done
with hookas and you are in a cage.  The water was 64F and we used their wet
suits (7MM farmer John/Jane).  Grootbos is a gorgeous resort just east of
Gansbaii.
Next stop Umkomaas at 2 hour flight north.  This is home to the Raggies
(Sand Tigers.  We stayed the Ocean View Guest House not as fancy as
Grootbos but clean and well kept.  John Mugambo, the owner makes you stay
quite pleasant.  We dove with Sea Fever, the operation was not note
worthy.  We enjoyed the Raggies even though viz was low.  Water was in the
60'sF
We then moved on to a safari camp called Phinda.  From there we dove at
Sodwana Bay at the very north corner of South Africa.  Phinda provides a
same day Cessna plane ride, diving and lunch. The diving was beautiful. 
The dive, 2 mile reef, started with an eagle ray, schools of moorish
idols, colorful anthias, and a four foot marble eel.  Other sightings
included pipefish, three frog fish(on one dive), purple parrot fish, tons
of nudibrands.  A beautiful place to dive.  I understand it gets crowded
on weekends. 
All dives are surf launches; not for the faint harded.  
The remainder of the trip was spent at another safari camp, Ngala tented
camp, in Kruger National Park.  Both safari camps were beautiful and the
animals were amazing.  This the best land/sea trip we have ever been on. 
I was truly a trip of a life time!

 

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