Plettenberg Bay sits on the Indian Ocean along the Garden Route, offering nine sites that range from shallow reef and pinnacle diving to estuarine snorkelling. The Robberg Peninsula is the focal point, with fur seal encounters at the colony and rocky gullies that suit beginners and intermediate divers alike. Sea fans, sponges, long-nosed fur seals, and nudibranchs populate the reefs, and Knysna seahorses appear in the estuarine sites. Shore and boat access are both available, and six operators are based locally.
Monthly water temperature across Plettenberg Bay's sites, from satellite sea-surface data corrected for depth. The band shows the site-to-site spread.
Water sits at its warmest from December through February and cools to its lowest between June and October, holding fairly steady through the winter months. Winter is also noted for calmer seas and clearer water, which can improve visibility across the bay's reef and pinnacle sites.
5 operators
Water temperature around Plettenberg Bay ranges from about 17°C in April to 20°C in January, based on satellite sea-temperature data for its dive sites.
In the warm season (about 20°C) a 5mm suit is comfortable in Plettenberg Bay; in the coldest months (about 17°C) step up to a 7mm or semi-dry suit.
Fin maps 9 sites in Plettenberg Bay (7 scuba diving sites and 2 snorkelling spots).
5 more sites to explore
