NATURE/REEF DIVES CAPE TOWN -  INTRODUCTION

 

Nature scuba diving (or reef dives) in Cape Town is ideal for those starting out in scuba diving. Typically these dives only require Open Water certification. With our reef dives you get the opportunity to explore the wonders of Cape Towns oceans.

Our nature dives include swimming through kelp forests surrounded by many species of fish, seeing the myriad of bright colours on display from the large nudibranch colonies (soft-bodied marine mollusc), and not to mention the wide variety of stingrays, mussels, sponges and jellyfish.

The dives explore some of the best spots that the Cape has to offer and makes for an excellent adventure. Below you will find some of our most popular nature dives.

SCUBA DIVE SITE - SANDY COVE CAPE TOWN

As its name implies, Sandy Cove is a sandy reef with a few rocks in a sheltered bay. It is perfect for beginner divers, or those who want a shore dive with relatively no surface swim. Located opposite the Twelve Apostles Hotel in Oudekraal near Cape Town, this site is where most of the locals go. The aquatic wildlife you can expect to see, varies from small shoals of Hottentots fish, to rocks covered in nudibranch colonies. There are even a couple of short-tail stingrays to spot if you are really lucky!

Sandy Cove Scuba Facts:

 SCUBA DIVE SITE - JUSTIN’S CAVES CAPE TOWN

Justin’s Caves is a rocky reef outcrop located opposite the Twelve Apostles Hotel in Oudekraal, Cape Town, and is a favourite spot for most locals. The site includes “caves” that you can swim through, surrounded by a beautiful kelp forest. The aquatic wildlife you can expect to see varies from small shoals of fish, to nudibranch colonies and mussels. There are loads of sponges, sea urchins, brightly coloured sea anemones and even some soft and hard corals! The diversity in colour is what makes it one of the most colourful dives in Cape Town.  Sometimes we are lucky enough to see a Puffadder Shyshark at this site.

Justin’s Caves Scuba Facts:

 SCUBA DIVE SITE - A-FRAME CAPE TOWN

A-Frame is a rocky reef located in the Oatlands area of Simon's Town in the Cape. It is a site suitable for novice divers, and has some interesting aspects for the more experienced. The site was given its name from a wooden tripod that was used for navigation. There are lots of invertebrates like sponges, sea anemones and even some corals on this dive that covers the rocky overhangs and some swim-throughs. Mussels and abalone can also be found here.

A-Frame Scuba Facts:

 SCUBA DIVE SITE – WINDMILL BEACH CAPE TOWN

Windmill Beach is located in Simon's Town in False Bay, Cape Town. The site has a sandy sea bottom topography with large granite boulders hugging the coastline. There are a couple of pinnacles in the north east side of the site. Marine life to be seen consists of invertebrates such as nudibranch colonies and small shoals of fish.

Windmill Beach Scuba Facts:

 

Gallery

Orange Gas Flamed Nudibranch Cape Rock Lobster Violet Spotted Anemone Hottentots fish in Kelp forest False Plum Anemone Blue Gas Flamed Nudibranch Sinuous sea fan Galjoen Spiny starfish Pyjama Catshark Spiny Starfish Orange Spiny starfish Anemone and nudibranch Sea Urchin Size Red Roman Ceratosoma ingozi (Inkspot Nudibranch) Sea fan and Elegant featherstar Parrotfish peeping through the colourful marine li Trinchesia speciosa Puffadder Shyshark Chromodoris heatherae Puffadder Shyshark Box Jellyfish Basket Star Jelly Fish Aphelodoris sp. (Chocolate-Chip nudibranch) Anemone Sucker fish Sucker fish under kelp nature dive 001 nature dive 002 nature dive 009 nature dive 005 nature dive 006 nature dive 003 nature dive 007 nature dive 004 nature dive 010 nature dive 013 nature dive 015 nature dive 014 nature dive 016 nature dive 011 nature dive 008 nature dive 019 nature dive 017 nature dive 023 nature dive 020 nature dive 021 nature dive 018 nature dive 026 nature dive 022 nature dive 031 nature dive 012 nature dive 027 nature dive 029 nature dive 030 nature dive 035 nature dive 025 nature dive 032 nature dive 024 nature dive 034 nature dive 036 nature dive 033 nature dive 028 nature dive 037 nature dive 038

What have others said about Into the Blue Scuba Dive Center?

Globetrekker Oxford

“Top marks for safety and professionalism”....

The reason for giving five stars is not because my dive day was good - it was horrible, a complete washout, no viz, unpleasant swell, just all round yucky conditions.

However, that's nature, and dive operators can do nothing about it. What all dive operators should do is be as professional and customer-focused as the guys from ITB diving.

First thing to note is that ITB is considerably cheaper (by almost 1000.- Rand) than Simonstown operators, which is baffling considering that they also have the transport cost from Cape Town to budget for.

DMs, Instructors and Shopfloor staff are all super friendly and helpful; I even got picked up from my Cape Town digs and dropped off afterwards, free of charge.

On the boat, I saw all the emergency and redundancy gear I like to see: twin engines (VERY important!), Oxygen, comms gear, flares, the lot. Briefings were thorough, and buddy check was insisted on.

The trip to Seal Rock in the RIB was fun in the swell, but when we got there the captain did not let us dive because of the unsafe conditions. Disappointing as this was, he was totally right. Low tide and heavy swells are a dangerous combination this close to the rocks, and as for trying to get back into a RIB in seas like this....
We then tried the PMB wreck, where zero viz and nasty vertical swell separated the group and forced us out of the water after 25 minutes.

The captain did offer to try another spot but was honest enough to tell us that in his opinion it was going to be rubbish everywhere, and so we called it a day.

Back at the dive shop, we were all offered a re-schedule, but as I'm out of time I was given half my money back. I know from experience that this is not the norm in the industry, sadly.

Into the Blue is a top notch outfit that does things by the book, with a strong safety focus and very customer centered, on top of offering reasonable pricing and a fair refund policy. You'll have a hard time to find a better operator anywhere around. They'll definitely be my first choice when I pass through next, and for doing my IDC sometime this year.

Just hope mother nature will be in better mood then.

Visited April 2017

 

Amy Musto

Had the best diving experience with Into the Blue, first...

dive was a ship wreck followed by doing yoga moves with the seals. Would highly recommend diving with these guys, very professional and fun! I sadly lost my go pro whilst diving with the seals but I'll always have the memories!

Jacques Vermeulen

Best dive shop ever! People are friendly and helpful!...

Cape Town diving for the win!