This article is intended to provide the already qualified Scuba diver with information which will help to plan dives in the waters of Sodwana Bay, whether as a local resident or a visitor. Information is provided without prejudice, and is not guaranteed accurate or complete. Use it at your own risk.
Sodwana is one of the better known and more popular dive destinations in South Africa. It is in the far north east of the country and is in a tropical bioregion with reef corals and typical Indo-Pacific marine life.
The dive sites of Sodwana Bay are in the iSimangaliso Marine Protected Area. A permit is required to scuba dive in any MPA. The permits are valid for a year and are available at some branches of the Post Office. Temporary permits, valid for a month, may be available at dive shops or from dive boat operators. The permits are valid for all South African MPAs.
Boundaries of the iSimangaliso Marine Protected Area are shown in the image, which also shows the sanctuaries, wilderness and restricted zones, where no fishing or harvesting activities are allowed.
<maplink text="" latitude="-27.7" longitude="32.6" zoom="8" group="IMPA" class="no-icon"> {"type": "Feature","geometry": {"coordinates": [[32.890878,-26.858581],[32.945386,-26.872603],[33.372414,-26.981356], [33.372414,-28.522419],[32.461958,-28.522419],[32.402925,-28.519519]], "type":"LineString"}, "properties":{ "title": "iSimangaliso Marine Protected Area", "description": "Seaward boundary", "stroke":"#ffff00", "stroke-width":3 }} </maplink> <maplink text="" latitude="-27.7" longitude="32.6" zoom="8" group="IORZ1" class="no-icon"> {"type": "Feature","geometry": {"coordinates": [[32.945386,-26.872603],[33.372414,-26.981356], [33.372414,-28.522419],[32.461958,-28.522419]], "type":"LineString"}, "properties":{ "title": "iSimangaliso Offshore Restricted Zone", "description": "Seaward boundary", "stroke":"#ff8800", "stroke-width":1 }} </maplink> <maplink text="" latitude="-27.7" longitude="32.6" zoom="8" group="IOSZ1" class="no-icon"> {"type": "Feature","geometry": {"coordinates": [[32.890878,-26.858581],[32.945386,-26.872603], [32.926991,-26.949983],[32.872483,-26.949983]], "type":"LineString"}, "properties":{ "title": "iSimangaliso Offshore Sanctuary Zone 1 (IOSZ1)", "description": "Seaward boundary", "stroke":"#ff0000", "stroke-width":1 }} </maplink> <maplink text="" latitude="-27.7" longitude="32.6" zoom="8" group="IOCPZ1" class="no-icon"> {"type": "Feature","geometry": {"coordinates": [[32.872483,-26.949983],[32.926991,-26.949983], [32.921341,-27.013917],[32.866833,-27.013917]], "type":"LineString"}, "properties":{ "title": "iSimangaliso Offshore Controlled Pelagic Zone 1 (IOCPZ1)", "description": "Seaward boundary", "stroke":"#ffff00", "stroke-width":1 }} </maplink> <maplink text="" latitude="-27.7" longitude="32.6" zoom="8" group="IOSZ2" class="no-icon"> {"type": "Feature","geometry": {"coordinates": [[32.866833,-27.013917],[32.921341,-27.013917], [32.889641,-27.115583],[32.835133,-27.115583]], "type":"LineString"}, "properties":{ "title": "iSimangaliso Offshore Sanctuary Zone 2 (IOSZ2)", "description": "Seaward boundary", "stroke":"#ff0000", "stroke-width":1 }} </maplink> <maplink text="" latitude="-27.7" longitude="32.6" zoom="8" group="IOCPZ2" class="no-icon"> {"type": "Feature","geometry": {"coordinates": [32.835133,-27.115583],[32.889641,-27.115583],[32.728025,-27.526383],[32.673517,-27.526383](32.835133,-27.115583],[32.889641,-27.115583],[32.728025,-27.526383],[32.673517,-27.526383), "type":"LineString"}, "properties":{ "title": "iSimangaliso Offshore Controlled Pelagic Zone 2 (IOCPZ2)", "description": "Seaward boundary", "stroke":"#ffff00", "stroke-width":1 }} </maplink> <maplink text="" latitude="-27.7" longitude="32.6" zoom="8" group="IOCZ1" class="no-icon"> {"type": "Feature","geometry": {"coordinates": [32.673517,-27.526383],[32.728025,-27.526383],[32.734091,-27.545617],[32.679583,-27.545617](32.673517,-27.526383],[32.728025,-27.526383],[32.734091,-27.545617],[32.679583,-27.545617), "type":"LineString"}, "properties":{ "title": "iSimangaliso Offshore Controlled Zone 1 (IOCZ1)", "description": "Seaward boundary", "stroke":"#ffff00", "stroke-width":1 }} </maplink> <maplink text="" latitude="-27.7" longitude="32.6" zoom="8" group="IOCPZ3" class="no-icon"> {"type": "Feature","geometry": {"coordinates": [32.679583,-27.545617],[32.734091,-27.545617],[32.681341,-27.717783],[32.626833,-27.717783](32.679583,-27.545617],[32.734091,-27.545617],[32.681341,-27.717783],[32.626833,-27.717783), "type":"LineString"}, "properties":{ "title": "iSimangaliso Offshore Controlled Pelagic Zone 3 (IOCPZ3)", "description": "Seaward boundary", "stroke":"#ffff00", "stroke-width":1 }} </maplink> <maplink text="" latitude="-27.7" longitude="32.6" zoom="8" group="IOWZ1" class="no-icon"> {"type": "Feature","geometry": {"coordinates": [32.626833,-27.717783],[32.681341,-27.717783],[32.648825,-27.931067],[32.594317,-27.931067](32.626833,-27.717783],[32.681341,-27.717783],[32.648825,-27.931067],[32.594317,-27.931067), "type":"LineString"}, "properties":{ "title": "iSimangaliso Offshore Wilderness Zone 1 (IOWZ1)", "description": "Seaward boundary", "stroke":"#00ff00", "stroke-width":1 }} </maplink> <maplink text="" latitude="-27.7" longitude="32.6" zoom="8" group="IOCPZ4" class="no-icon"> {"type": "Feature","geometry": {"coordinates": [32.594317,-27.931067],[32.648825,-27.931067],[32.614775,-28.0864],[32.560267,-28.0864](32.594317,-27.931067],[32.648825,-27.931067],[32.614775,-28.0864],[32.560267,-28.0864), "type":"LineString"}, "properties":{ "title": "iSimangaliso Offshore Controlled Pelagic Zone 4 (IOCPZ4)", "description": "Seaward boundary", "stroke":"#ffff00", "stroke-width":1 }} </maplink> <maplink text="" latitude="-27.7" longitude="32.6" zoom="8" group="IOCZ2" class="no-icon"> {"type": "Feature","geometry": {"coordinates": [32.560267,-28.0864],[32.614775,-28.0864],[32.609608,-28.1449],[32.5551,-28.1449](32.560267,-28.0864],[32.614775,-28.0864],[32.609608,-28.1449],[32.5551,-28.1449), "type":"LineString"}, "properties":{ "title": "iSimangaliso Offshore Controlled Zone 2 (IOCZ2)", "description": "Seaward boundary", "stroke":"#ffff00", "stroke-width":1 }} </maplink> <maplink text="" latitude="-27.7" longitude="32.6" zoom="8" group="IOCPZ5" class="no-icon"> {"type": "Feature","geometry": {"coordinates": [32.5551,-28.1449],[32.609608,-28.1449],[32.494241,-28.369617],[32.439733,-28.369617](32.5551,-28.1449],[32.609608,-28.1449],[32.494241,-28.369617],[32.439733,-28.369617), "type":"LineString"}, "properties":{ "title": "iSimangaliso Offshore Controlled Pelagic Zone 5 (IOCPZ5)", "description": "Seaward boundary", "stroke":"#ffff00", "stroke-width":1 }} </maplink> <maplink text="" latitude="-27.7" longitude="32.6" zoom="8" group="IOCZ3" class="no-icon"> {"type": "Feature","geometry": {"coordinates": [32.439733,-28.369617],[32.494241,-28.369617],[32.481875,-28.4226],[32.427367,-28.4226](32.439733,-28.369617],[32.494241,-28.369617],[32.481875,-28.4226],[32.427367,-28.4226), "type":"LineString"}, "properties":{ "title": "iSimangaliso Offshore Controlled Zone 3 (IOCZ3)", "description": "Seaward boundary", "stroke":"#ffff00", "stroke-width":1 }} </maplink> <maplink text="" latitude="-27.7" longitude="32.6" zoom="8" group="IOCPZ6" class="no-icon"> {"type": "Feature","geometry": {"coordinates": [32.427367,-28.4226],[32.481875,-28.4226],[32.457441,-28.519517],[32.402933,-28.519517](32.427367,-28.4226],[32.481875,-28.4226],[32.457441,-28.519517],[32.402933,-28.519517), "type":"LineString"}, "properties":{ "title": "iSimangaliso Offshore Controlled Zone 6 (IOCPZ6)", "description": "Seaward boundary", "stroke":"#ffff00", "stroke-width":1 }} </maplink>