Diving the Cape Peninsula and False Bay/Stern Reef

The dive site Stern Reef is an inshore rocky reef in the Rocklands Point area on the False Bay coast of the Cape Peninsula, near Cape Town in the Western Cape province of South Africa.

Understand

Position

Stern Reef 📍: S34°13.164’ E018°28.032’ — An extensive area of high to low relief granite corestones on a sand bottom, marked by a rock which breaks the surface at some states of the tide. About 260 m South of Spaniard Rock, towards Miller’s Point.

This site is in a Marine Protected Area (2004). A permit is required.

Depth

Maximum depth is about 14 m, and the top of the reef breaks surface at low tide. Other rocks are lower. but the bottom is fairly level.

Topography

Coarse sand bottom with big granite boulders and reef. Largely fairly high to high relief with some low areas. Quite nice, specially just to seaward of the blinder, with quite a nice swim-through and some deep gullies between boulders. The reef has not yet been surveyed, but is thought to extend at least 50m to the north, east and west of the breakers. The bottom to the south is sandy.

Geology: Late Pre-Cambrian granite of the Peninsula pluton.

Conditions

Shore diving is limited by entry and exit conditions. Boat dives may be done in bigger swell with more surge, but the site is fairly shallow and surge will usually reach all the way down.

Facilities

Same parking area as for Spaniard Rock

Get in

Optional shore dive from Rocklands Point: Parking at side of main road on gravel shoulder. Access not easy and entry/exit a bit rough if there is much swell.

Can also be done as a boat dive from Miller's Point slipway or Simon's Town jetty. The site is easy to find as there is almost always a break over the top of the reef.

See

Marine life

Kelp on top of shallower reef areas. Heavy encrustations of red bait and feather stars with a variety of other invertebrates typical of the area.

Photography

Fairly good site for macro photography.

Routes

No specific route recommended.

Stay safe

Hazards

The path from the road is steep and slippery and usually in poor repair. Shore entry and exit are over a boulder beach.

Skills

No special skills required for boat dive. Some fitness and agility required for shore entry and exit.

Equipment

No special equipment required. A light is handy for looking into crevices and overhangs. A compass can be useful for keeping track of where you are.

Nearby

Back to the Alphabetical list of sites, or list of dive sites in the Rocklands Point area

Other regional dive sites:

Diving the Cape Peninsula and False Bay/Stern Reef - inshore dive site at Rocklands Point on the Cape Peninsula east coast