Picture St. Ouen’s Bay when the surf is pumping. Now double the size of the swell and imagine trying to launch a seven metre rubber boat full of dive gear through it. Welcome to Aliwal Shoal. The surf-launches on this part of the African coast are the stuff of diving legend, and we were about to experience it first hand.
On command, we scrambled aboard the boat and pushed our feet into the straps while the skipper played cat and mouse with the waves, looking for an opening in the surf. Running parallel to the waves he suddenly gunned the engines and we held on for dear life as the boat crashed through the surf and out into open ocean.
The adrenaline rush of the launch is the perfect introduction to diving this part of the African coast. The water here is alive with sharks and on our second dive we ran into a huge school of three-metre Scalloped Hammerheads cruising past in tight formation. The next day on another legendary reef known as Protea Banks we descended through the blue and I found myself having to angle my body to avoid a massive Bull Shark. These guys are right up there with Great Whites on the scare-o-meter, and this particular shark was over three metres long with a chest like a barrel.
Our trip coincided with the time of year that pregnant Ragged Tooth Sharks – or ‘Raggies’ as their known locally – move up to this part of the coast to have their pups. And after leaving the Bull Shark we came across about a dozen large Raggies cruising in lazy circles inside a cave. They’re big, fearsome looking sharks, but they’re actually quite docile, and there was no sense of a threat as they cruised just inches above our heads. As if the dive wasn’t thrilling enough, on the way back to shore we came across two Humpback Whales. The skipper slowed the boat and the whales came right over, one lifting its head right out of the water to take a look at us before flipping its huge tail and diving right under the boat. It was an amazing experience, but just one of many that we had enjoyed since arriving in Africa.
Our journey began in Micronesia where we boarded a flight to Manila, then another to Hong Kong and finally another to Johannesburg. Arriving somewhat shellshocked in deepest, darkest Africa we are met by the team from Dive South who would be our hosts for the next week or so.
For the next eight hours we pointed the Land Rovers east and headed for the coast. Crossing the border from South Africa into Mozambique we were immediately struck by the difference between the two countries as tarmac roads were replaced by rough sand tracks. Even the four-wheel-drives found the going tough at times and it was a long and tiring journey to Ponta Mamoli on the Mozambique coast where we would spend the next four nights.
But the diving made our journey worthwhile. The reefs were pristine, inhabited by huge numbers of Manta rays, Lion Fish and Blue-Spotted Stingrays. We were also lucky enough to encounter Mozambique’s signature fish, the Potato Bass, a supersize grouper that can grow as big as a car.
In an age where the oceans in many parts of the world are undoubtably in poor health, it was refreshing to see the African coast so full of life. But it was time for us to move on. Having become acquainted with Bull Sharks, Ragged Tooth Sharks and Mantas over the past few days, we were off to The Cape to meet the greatest predator of all. The Great White Shark. And that’s another story.