Protea Banks, Shelly Beach - Diving Holiday Destination

Protea Banks, Shelly Beach (South Africa)

One of the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast’s top holiday destinations, Shelly Beach is also the launch pad for several different deepwater adventures, such as scuba diving on the famous Protea Banks, deep sea fishing, whale and dolphin watching, paddle-ski fishing, sea kayaking, etc. Shelly Beach is a friendly town where the true tranquillity is rivalled only by its incredible scenery

For the nature lover there is the nearby Skyline Nature Reserve where you will be introduced to 76 indigenous coastal tree species, 300 odd other indigenous trees and some 400 exotic tree species.

Originally named because of the large variety of sea shells found on the beach here, Shelly beach has one of the busiest ski boat bases on the coast and there is always plenty of action with both fishing and diving boats launching through the surf next to the tidal pool. It is also home to the National Sea Rescue Institute base. Shelly Beach is a shell collector's paradise. Here, the finest miniature pink lady shells can be found hidden among the many varieties. Take a leisurely stroll on these warm sands and find delight in the abundance of beautiful shells just laying there.

Shelly Beach has experienced tremendous growth in recent years. Shelly Beach has become one of the fastest developing commercial and residential towns on the KwaZulu Natal South Coast. Shelly Centre, with its supermarkets, cinemas, boutiques, banks and restaurants is the largest shopping centre on the Hibiscus Coast and is also found here. The new Southcoast Mall offers much for shoppers, including Game, Homes and Home, Wimpy, Ola Milky Lane, and much more.

Climate

The South Africa Summer runs from November to February, when most of the country is characterised by warm to hot weather. December and January are the main summer holiday months when people flock to the beaches. In March and April, Autumn brings warm days and cool nights. The climate is at its best at this time in most parts of the country. Beginning of June to the end of September, you can expect cold conditions in most of the country and rain in the Western Cape. Air Temp 40-70’F.

Dive Facts

Visibility varies from 5 to 40 meters, and the water temperature in summer is 24+ ° C and in winter not colder than 19 ° C. The depths vary between 30 and 40 meters and one must be an experienced diver for these often 3 knot mid-water drift dives. This is adventure diving at it's best but for experienced divers only.

Dive Attractions

PROTEA BANKS offers an exceptionally exciting SHARK dive. Situated 7,5km off Shelly Beach, PROTEA BANKS allows ADVANCED divers the opportunity to experience a shark dive that is completely unique - sharks are not baited and no cages are used!

See more about Protea Banks Dive Site in detail in our Dive Site Directory & for South Africa Scuba Diving Clubs see our Dive Club Directory

During the summer months the Bull Shark (Zambezi) makes PROTEA BANKS its home. Hammerheads are often seen overhead and not just one or two, we are talking hundreds .... yes hundreds. Guitar Sharks, Coppers and Blacktips frequent this reef, with a select few of divers getting the privilege of seeing the elusive Tiger Sharks.

In the winter months the Ragged-Tooth Sharks congregate on PROTEA BANKS to mate.

Aside from sharks, PROTEA BANKS also boasts a vast number of gamefish such as Barracuda, Snappers, Yellowtail, Kingfish and Potato Bass to name but a few.

There are numerous tidal pools and lagoons. These waters are ideal for all watersports especially snorkelling and diving. Shelly Beach boasts numerous popular diving and snorkelling sites where the most spectacular varieties of tropical fish, sharks, corals as well as mystical underwater caves can be discovered. These popular sites include Potato Reef, The Caves, Deep Salmon, Arena Reef, Bo Boyi Reef and Adda Reef.

Other

Languages: IsiZulu 23.8%, IsiXhosa 17.6%, Afrikaans 13.3%, Sepedi 9.4%, English 8.2%; English widely understood in tourist locations.

Currency : rand (ZAR)

Electricity: 220/230 volts AC . Three round pronged plugs are universal and most hotel rooms have 110-volt outlets for small appliances

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