While diving in Sodwana, we found out that the info we had on diving Aliwal Shoal was incorrect. Aliwal is famous for lots and lots of Ragged-Tooth Sharks. We contacted the only accommodation recommended by the Baz Bus that was in the area of Aliwal Shoal. The fellow there said it was too rough and too dangerous for kids to dive….not building any confidence with the parents for sure! However Neville and the gang at Sodwana were very confident our young divers could cope. We were always told that both were excellent divers and several other instructors who came diving with us, also were very impressed with their skills. So we got in touch with Maaike and the gang at ScubaXcursion in Scottbergh https://www.scubaxcursion.co.za. As always dive people (like ultimate frisbee people) are awesome! Maaike got us a ride form the Happy Hippo right to the hotel she sorted for us – the somewhat dated Cutty Sark! The dive shop was right next door and we had awesome views of the ocean!
African sunsets are amazing!
THE DIVING
Aliwal Shoal is world famous for diving with the Ragged-Tooth Shark. They can be up to 4-5 metres and have a mouth full of teeth with no organisation to them. It is also famous for a rough ride out to the Shoal. We did not dive the first full day we were there as it was crazy rough seas and the forecast for the next few days was much better. Well. It sure was better! The gang at ScubaXcursion said it was the best they had seen in ages. It was so calm it was like a carpet! And the sharks? They did not disappoint. We saw dozens of sizes from one to almost 4 metres in length. We were told the Raggies dive into the sand with their mouths open to clean their teeth and knock out some of their teeth too so there would be lots to find….Skye found one on the first day and the ScubaXcursion gang gave some to Kaia as well.
Although the diversity was not as apparent as Sodwana, we were still super lucky to see so much – turtles, rays, cuttlefish, juvenile emperor angelfish, moray eels, trumpet fish, huge lobsters, lots of trigger fish, yellow lyretail, moorishidols, hawkfish, butterfly fish, starfish, goodies, choc dips, tow bar anemone fish and the very elusive tiger angelfish!
The girls made some friends – Gemma who was there for her grandmothers funeral and Jesse, who they originally thought was a little girl.
