Protea Banks, KwaZulu-Natal

Protea Banks is a fossilized sandbank located 7.5 kilometers out to sea from Shelly Beach. It is 6 kilometers long and 800 meters wide and lies at a depth of 27 to 40 meters. A variety of game fish, such as barracuda, tuna, and kingfish, call the reef home, attracting a wide range of predators.

The "Zambezi" (Bull Shark) population at Protea Banks is well-known; other sharks that frequent the area include ragged-tooth sharks, hammerheads, and blacktips. On a single dive, divers are almost certain to see up to five different shark species! The annual Sardine Run occurs in June and July when large schools of sardines migrate from the colder waters around the Cape to the warmer waters of KwaZulu-Natal. Game fish and other predators such as sharks, dolphins, whales, and Cape gannets all try their luck at catching the sardines. Divers dive to depths of about five to seven meters.

Location: Protea Banks, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa