SODWANA BAY, KWAZULU-NATAL COASTLINE, SOUTH AFRICA

Sodwana Bay is located on the eastern coast of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. This narrow strip of forested coastal sand dunes was declared a National Park in 1950 and is renowned for its year-round scuba diving, snorkelling and deep-sea fishing.

YEAR ROUND SCUBA DIVING

Classified as one of the top dive sites in the world, Sodwana Bay attracts some 35 000 scuba divers every year. The 50 km (31 mile) reef is estimated to be over 4 000 years old and boasts 95 species of hard and soft coral, sponges, and 1 200 different species of tropical fish. Several shark species have been spotted and recently three coelacanths approximately 1.5 metres (4.9 feet) in length were photographed at a depth of 115 metres (377 feet).

Even though Sodwana’s reef system is only a fraction of the size of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, it is estimated to contain more than two thirds the amount of fish species (1 200 in Sodwana as opposed to 1 500 in the Great Barrier Reef).