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Sodwana, meaning “little one on it’s own” in Zulu, could as well mean “little paradise on it’s own”, as it is a paradise for anyone with an interest in the great outdoors. Sodwana Bay’s coral does not form a continuous reef but is clearly divided into a number of reefs that run parallel to the shore, each one designated by its distance from the launch site, Jesser Point. They occur on the continental shelf which is approximately three kilometres wide in this area. The reefs are off shore and can easily be reached by boat. According to geologists the reef rock base on this coastline is late Pleistocene sandstone, which are the remnants of ancient dunes and beaches that were built up by the sea and wind and fossilised about 80 000 years ago when the sea level was about 20 meters lower than it is at present. These reefs are part of a series of reefs that run from Leven Point into Mozambique. Although called coral reefs, they are an adapted form because they are not exposed above the water surface during low tides and are not based on a thick primary coral reef building base. Sodwana’s corals grow on rock reefs. These reefs tend to be flat with low pinnacles, shallow drop-offs and gullies and range in depth from –8 m to approximately –115 m. According to scientists who have studied the reefs at Sodwana, they are at least 4 000 years old.
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Two mile is the largest of Sodwana’s known coral reefs and is also the most dived upon. The reef is about 1,7km (just over a mile) long and up to 900m (½ a mile) wide. Strong currents or surges are rare and it is therefore an excellent site for night dives. The reef life differs in areas and the diver can do a number of varied dives on this accessible reef. The depths vary from a relatively shallow 12m (40ft) to a maximum of 36 (120ft).
The surf launches are a unique and exciting experience. Divers help to push the boat into the shallows, jump in once the engines are started and then hold on tight as the skilled skipper negotiates the waters.
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Sodwana: The Facts
This region stretches from St. Lucia in the south to Kosi Bay in the north. Sodwana is South Africa´s premier tropical dive site.
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> The region is characterised by long, deserted beaches edged by high, forrested dunes. Behind the dunes are swamp forests dominated by magnificant fig trees. These fig trees host a multitude of living things, small and large.
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> Further inland are the vast fresh and salt water lakes of St. Lucia, Sibaya and Kosi Bay.
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> The Greater St Lucia Wetland Park - extending from south of the St Lucia Estuary to Sodwana Bay - encompasses the magnificant Lake St Lucia and protects a large marine reserve, game-filled dry savanna, the wetlands of the Mkuze Swamps and ancient coastal dunes with their indigenous forests.
It is in response to the threatened mining of these dunes that the many smaller parks and reserves in the area were recently consolidated into this more easily administered unit.
To the average visitor, the various sections still maintain their individual identity and seem to operate independently.
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> Reefs offer the only true tropical diving in the country with water temperatures in excess of 20 degrees C (68F).
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> Found in the area are Indo-Atlantic species of coral and other sea-life.
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> Home to more than 1 200 species of fish. Bottle-nosed dolphins, turtles, sharks and whale sharks.
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> Sodwana is a National Park.
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Dive Plan:
Depth of reefs: varies from a few meters to 30 meters (100ft) - with many reefs at no more than 18 meters (60ft). Visibility averages between 10 and 40 meters (33 to 130ft), and is particularly good in
Sodwana has a great variety of reefs - from reefs with delicately patterned hard corals, or those with an abundance of life-forms - to ones with pinnacles, buttresses, caves and blow holes.
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Best Times:
The best months for diving are from April through to September with the best underwater visibility during May and June.
The water temperature is always above 20oC (70oF) with averages of around 24oC (75oF), rising to as high as 28oC (82oF).
Please be advised that all diving in South Africa is best done early in the morning, just after sunrise, because as the morning wears on, the wind tends to pick up causing a chop on the water which makes diving upleasant. This leaves the afternoons free to explore your new surroundings.
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Diversions:
It is only recently that scuba diving has overtaken game fishing as the main recreational activity in these waters and, at present, the only sot with good diving inffrastructure is Sodwana Bay, widely accepted to be the mecca of diving in South Africa.
> Leisurely strolls or hikes through the coastal forestsN
>Game drives and walking safaris at one of the many nearby reserves that are either privately owned or run by the KwaZulu-Natal Nature Conservation Service.
> Less energetic companions can enjoy magnificant stretches of beach and observe birds and small game in some of the camp site or hotel grounds.
> Highly recommended are the guided nocturnal turtle-viewing trips organised by the Nature Conservation Service.
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