Dive Travel — Cape Town, South Africa

Diving in False Bay offers a variety of dives, making it a sought-after destination.

Location:

False Bay is an Atlantic Ocean body of water between the Cape Peninsula and Hottentots Holland Mountains in southwest South Africa. The bay’s mouth faces south, demarcated by Cape Point to the west and Cape Hangklip to the east.

Cape Peninsula False Bay Map

 

Kelp Forest

kelp forest cape town with diver

A diver exploring the kelp forest

The magical Kelp Forests are a major attraction and a scenic dive. Exploring this habitat is a wonderful experience, immersed in a forest with kelp standing like tall trees up to 17m long. Between the kelp are charming reef pieces covering large boulders. A variety of species like octopuses, starfish, cuttlefish, and rock lobsters inhabit this area. The kelp hosts many unique fish found nowhere else in the world and a variety of shark species including Seven-gill Cow Sharks, Pyjama catsharks, and different Shysharks.

Seal Dives

Cape fur seal diving Cape Town

Cape fur seal diving down to inspect me

Cape fur seals are endemic to Southern Africa. The African fur seal lives around the southern and southwestern coast of Africa from Cape Cross in Namibia and around the Cape of Good Hope to Black Rocks near Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape. Seals are the friendly ‘water dogs’ of the sea, playful and inquisitive. They often accompany divers to see what they’re doing. They are curious creatures and will sometimes mimic your behavior when interacting with them underwater. Seals are fun to watch as they effortlessly glide through the water twirling and blowing bubbles.

Wreck Diving

A scuba diver exploring the underwater world madelein wolf photography 1

My dive buddy posing on the PMB (Pietermaritzburg) wreck

Numerous wrecks lie on the False Bay ocean floor, especially old navy ships in Simon’s Town. The SAS Pietermaritzburg, a minesweeper until 1994, was scuttled to form an artificial reef.

The wrecks of Smitswinkel Bay include five Navy-scuttled wrecks: SAS Transvaal, SAS Good Hope, Rockeater, Princess Elizabeth, and Oratava.

The wrecks are covered with vibrant coral and small creatures like nudibranchs, interesting crabs, Strawberry anemones, starfish, various fish species, and small sharks like the Pyjama Catshark and Shyshark.

Reef Dives

Scuba diving in False Bay Cape Town reef Madeleinwolf 2

Colorful deep reef in False Bay

False Bay’s reefs are vibrant and colorful. Shallow ones are usually surrounded by kelp forests with tiny sea creatures.

The deeper reefs, accessible only by boat, have a wider variety of marine life, including abundant reef fish, large sea fan forests, small sharks, nudibranchs, sponges, cuttlefish, and octopus.

False Bay offers activities for all ocean enthusiasts, from snorkeling, freediving, and shore dives to boat dives. Book your dive holiday today.

We Protect what we Love. Join the movement!

by Madelein Wolfaardt
All images ©️ by @sealife_madeleinwolf

Capture the ocean’s magic

with our Underwater Photography Course! Build your skills, learn expert techniques, and create stunning underwater images. For those aiming for certification, we also offer the PADI Underwater Photography Specialty Course. Dive in and turn your passion into incredible photos!

powered by social2s
06 December Digital Marketing 23

You've found it - that perfect, clever domain name that makes you smile. Maybe it's a witty wordplay, or perhaps it uses one of those trendy new domain extensions. Before you click "purchase," consider that this creative domain name might undermine your business's success.

Your domain name isn't just a web address - it's your business's first impression, your brand's foundation, and a key factor in whether

...
14 November Digital Marketing 71

As a Web Content Manager and Designer, I've seen countless beautifully designed websites fail to generate results because they're treated like digital business cards instead of marketing tools.

Your website should work for you. Think of a static website like a poster in an empty room - it might look great, but if nobody sees it or takes action, it's not helping your business grow.

While proper SEO

...
01 November Digital Marketing 182

The Importance of Content Marketing

What is content marketing? It’s a top way to showcase your products or services to potential customers by creating and distributing valuable, relevant content to attract and engage your target audience. I will focus on using blog articles, a highly effective form, to drive website traffic and establish your brand as an industry authority. I will show you why and how.

Your website is the

...
01 November Digital Marketing 210

The Importance of Content Marketing

What is content marketing? It’s a top way to showcase your products or services to potential customers by creating and distributing valuable, relevant content to attract and engage your target audience. I will focus on using blog articles, a highly effective form, to drive website traffic and establish your brand as an industry authority. I will show you why and

...
30 October Scuba & Exploration 367

Dive Travel — Cape Town, South Africa

Nudibranchs, or nudies, are captivating creatures. They exist underwater where few people can enjoy their variety, vibrance, and small sizes. But, once discovered, many underwater enthusiasts are captivated.

In my hometown of Gordon’s Bay, False Bay, we are lucky to find around 75 species. When photographing nudibranchs, you’re never disappointed. Spotting new ones is an exciting

...
25 October Digital Marketing 273

SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, enhances your website’s ranking in search engine results, like Google. Using keywords and quality content helps more people discover and visit your site, boosting visibility and promoting business growth.

If you’re not familiar with SEO, this may sound intimidating. But it’s straightforward changes you can apply yourself to improve your site’s SEO. I’ll show you how easy it is to implement and

...
11 October Digital Marketing 204

Identifying your ideal customer is crucial for your marketing strategy because it allows you to tailor your messaging, products, and services to the specific needs, preferences, and pain points of the people most likely to buy from you.

This targeted approach increases the efficiency of your marketing efforts, helping you attract more qualified leads, improve customer engagement, and ultimately boost conversion rates. By

...
04 October Personal Growth 195

I was shocked to discover that I’m a highly sensitive person (HSP). A few years ago, someone gifted me Dr. Elaine N. Aron’s book, The Highly Sensitive Person. It was my first encounter with this personality trait, and it described me perfectly. Initially, the word ‘sensitive’ put me off due to its negative connotations; in my mind, it equated to weakness.

An HSP is someone who

...
04 October Personal Growth 360

Isn’t there more to life? Is this it?

Have you asked this before? Well, there certainly is more to life, and you’ll discover it once you start asking questions like this.

This article isn’t to pressure you to be more, do more, or achieve more. It’s to guide you on an exciting self-edifying path with a different mindset and attitude toward life, which leads to a fulfilled

...
04 October Scuba & Exploration 266

A Guide to Appreciating Underwater Biodiversity

Getting to know the underwater world has always been one of my favorite things. When you start free diving or scuba diving, you’re introduced to a new alien world with unknown creatures. Everything seems strange and remarkable, and you feel like you’re discovering new animals on every dive. This is always thrilling. In this article, I use examples from the ...

08 September Scuba & Exploration 795

Dive Travel — South Africa

One of the world’s largest kelp forests is in South Africa. Kelp is a marine alga and not a true plant, with species ranging from shorter “bottom kelp” to taller ones. This ecosystem serves as food and shelter for many marine species and is one of the richest habitats on earth.

From the shore on the water’s surface, the forest canopy is visible and

...
08 September Scuba & Exploration 246

Dive Travel — Cape Town, South Africa

Diving in False Bay offers a variety of dives, making it a sought-after destination.

Location:

False Bay is an Atlantic Ocean body of water between the Cape Peninsula and Hottentots Holland Mountains in southwest South Africa. The bay’s mouth faces south, demarcated by Cape Point to the west and Cape Hangklip to

...
27 August Digital Marketing 977

Boost your productivity.

As a business developer and entrepreneur, my top priority is finding the easiest and shortest routes to get things done. We all have to take on multiple roles, from developing websites to ...

13 August Scuba & Exploration 1018

Here are 6 easy ways to get to know the underwater world.

When you start exploring underwater and everything is new to you, where do you even start to get to know the vast number of underwater animals and plants? Don’t worry, it’s not complicated. In this article, I will show you six easy and practical ways to start familiarizing yourself with the marine environment.

...

Shark behavior, what to look for, and tips on how to behave.

In this article:Shark Behaviour  |  The Do's and Don'ts  |  Shark Diving  |  Shark Conservation

When you love the ocean, it's natural that

...
Use of Images & Content of Website
© Madelein Wolfaardt 2023. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this website’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Madelein Wolfaardt with appropriate and specific direction and links to the original content.