Diving the Cape Peninsula and False Bay/Fish Hoek Reef

The dive site Fish Hoek Reef is an offshore rocky reef in the Fish Hoek area on the False Bay coast of the Cape Peninsula, in Cape Town in the Western Cape province of South Africa.

Understand

Position

Fish Hoek Reef 📍: S34°08.292’ E018°26.676’ — (at the shallowest known point).

This site is in the Table Mountain National Park Marine Protected Area since 2004. A permit is required.

Name

The name "Fish Hoek Reef " is a geographic description. The Reef is in Fish Hoek Bay.

Depth

Maximum depth is about 16 m at the edge of the sand. There are two areas where the reef rises to about 7 m, and the average depth of a dive is likely to be about 12 m.

Visibility

Visibility is unlikely to be very good, as this is a site more often dived when the conditions elsewhere are worse, but it could be good, and due to the shallow depth, often quite well illuminated.

Topography

The reef is not yet full mapped, The shallowest point found so far is about 7 m deep, and the 9 m contour runs NW-SE, approximately 40 m wide and 150 m long. Most of the reef is deeper, down to about 15 m on the east, and the reef is about 300 m long and 150 m wide. The reef is moderate profile sandstone, quite blocky and rugged, with lots of small ledges and undercuts, and criss-crossed by small cracks and gullies, providing habitat for a fairly good range of invertebrates and fish.

Geology: Sandstone reef probably of the Peninsula formation. Strike is roughly NW-SE.

Conditions

Get in

A long swim shore dive (about 550 m) or a boat dive from Simon’s Town or Miller’s Point. The site is about 6.2 km from Simon's Town Jetty, or 10.6 km from Miller's Point slipway.

See

Marine life

There is sparse Split-fan kelp in the shallower areas. Typical fish and invertebrates of shallow reef in the region. Large numbers of Palmate sea fans (Leptogorgia palma) along the outer edge of the reef.

Photography

Routes

No particular routes recommended.

Stay safe

Hazards

Anyone considering doing this as a shore dive should be aware that Great White sharks have been seen cruising this area.

Skills

No special skills required. The depth is suitable for entry level divers.

Equipment

A compass is recommended if this is done as a shore dive.

Nearby

Back to the list of Alphabetical list of sites, or dive sites in the Fish Hoek and Glencairn area

Other regional dive sites:

Diving the Cape Peninsula and False Bay/Fish Hoek Reef - inshore dive site at Fish Hoek on the Cape Peninsula east coast