Cathedral Aliwal Shoal

Chunnel Aliwal Shoal

Eelskins Reef

MV Paulo Wreck

Park Rynie Wreck

Protea Banks Northern Pinnacles

Raggie Cave Aliwal Shoal

SAS Pietermaritzburg

The KZN South Coast offers casual South African dining with a strong Indian influence reflecting the region's cultural heritage. Umkomaas has dive lodge restaurants and beachfront cafes serving fresh seafood and traditional curries. Shelly Beach features shopping centre dining and local restaurants. The region is known for bunny chow (hollowed bread filled with curry), fresh Durban-style Indian cuisine, and traditional South African braai with ocean views.

Agulhas House

Aliwal Shoal Lodge

Brenton on Sea Guesthouse

Protea Banks Dive Lodge

The KwaZulu-Natal South Coast is South Africa's premier shark diving destination, home to the world-famous Aliwal Shoal and Protea Banks reef systems. Aliwal Shoal off Umkomaas offers extraordinary ragged-tooth shark aggregations from June to November at sites like Raggie Cave and Cathedral, alongside thrilling baited shark dives at the Chunnel attracting tiger sharks, bull sharks, and oceanic blacktips. Protea Banks off Shelly Beach delivers adrenaline-charged encounters with giant scalloped hammerhead schools from February to June, plus diverse predator species including tigers, bulls, and oceanic blacktips. The region also features the 1994 SAS Pietermaritzburg minesweeper wreck with massive barracuda schools, excellent macro diving at Eelskins Reef, and the MV Paulo wreck within the Aliwal Shoal system. With warm subtropical water, excellent visibility, and reliable shark encounters year-round, the KZN South Coast is a bucket-list destination for shark enthusiasts and advanced divers worldwide.

KwaZulu-Natal – South Coast

Fly to King Shaka International Airport (DUR) in Durban. Umkomaas is 45 minutes south, Shelly Beach is 1.5 hours south via the N2. Multiple dive operators provide airport transfers.

Dive Sites in KwaZulu-Natal – South Coast