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SCUBA Diving Destinations: Africa
23 June 2024
Of the top 100 dives in the world, 20% are in Africa with Egypt, Sudan, South Africa, Mozambique and Tanzania being the best represented. There are 38 countries in Africa which have a coastline. They border the Atlantic Ocean in the West, the Indian Ocean in the East, the Red Sea in the North East and the Mediterranean Sea in the North.
The 5 Best African Diving Destinations:
Recommend a dive site or dive operator...
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Other SCUBA Diving Destinations
Asia • Australia • Caribbean • Central America • Europe • The Gulfs • Mediterranean • North America • Pacific • Red Sea • South America
Diving Sudan
Sudan Dive Sites
Sha'ab Rumi South, Sudan
Reviews: 
A narrow plateau starting at 20 Metres stretches out for 50-75 m then drops off at 40 m. It drops to 600 m on all sides. Lots of grey reef sharks, hammerheads are usually there, silvertips and sometimes silky sharks. I have had several manta encounters and the coral as well as the fish life is extraordinary with schools of barracuda and trevally.
Christian Karlsson
Best place for hammerheads in the red sea. During one dive I had almost 50 in front of me. There are also lots of grey and whitetip reef sharks and thousand of barracudas at very close range. Best season for hammerheads is from November till April.
Vladimir Guberinic
The best dive place on the planet. Great visibility (20-30 m), great corals, scalloped hammerheads (once even more than 60! in a group), grey reef sharks, white tip reef sharks, napoleon fish, groups of bumphead parrot fish, etc. on the plateau also sits Jacques Cousteau's shark observation cage. Amazing dive site!!!
Miha, 2007
Fantastic preserved coral reef drops onto a flat outcrop around 23 m - there is a Grey Reef Shark cleaning Station - you can lie in the sand and watch them. The reef then slopes to the depths - 700m+. Schooling Hammerheads. If you want to be surrounded with at least 3 species of shark this is the place - the coral itself is world class on its own - great dive.
Richard Rigby, 2007
Wreck of the Umbria, Sudan
On the first dive this huge shipwreck swept away the memories of Thistlegorm and the other Red Sea wrecks. It's a spooky castle covered by corals loaded with 36000 aircraft bombs, cars, wine bottles and so on. The site is visited by mata rays, whale sharks and, at night, tiger sharks. You'll probably be alone on the wreck due to the small numbers of divers visiting the country.
Cristian Magnani
My absolutely favourite wreck. In my opinion it's much better than Thistlegorm. It's because there are just 10-12 liveaboards in Sudan and if you are diving here you can be sure that you'll be alone. As there are not so many divers the ship wreck is in much better condition
Martins, Latvia, 2007
See also: Umbria Photo Gallery.
Sudan Dive Operators
Reviews:
Don questo is a live-aboard which is the only way to discover the Sudan red sea. All dive sites were actually amazing! The boat is a bit old but has a recompression chamber on board. Staff are very nice and helpful. Food excellent. Sudan is the best diving, and I have been in Australia - Osprey reef, Belize - blue hole, New Zealand - Poor Knights Islands, etc.) Don't go there as mass diving tourism will spoil one of the last remaining paradises on earth!
Miha, 2007
MSY Elegante, Reviews:
Diving the Ivory Coast
Ivory Coast Dive Sites | Ivory Coast Dive Operators | Further Reading
Ivory Coast Dive Sites
Elephant wreck
Reviews:
Acacio wreck
Reviews:
Bélier
Reviews:
Ivory Coast Dive Operators
GERSMA, Abidjan, Ivory Coast
Reviews:
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone is not the first place you might consider for a SCUBA diving holiday, which guarantees that the dive spots will not be crowded. The country suffered a ten year civil war from 1992 until 2002. In September 2010 the UN Security Council lifted the last remaining sanctions against the Republic, saying that the government had fully re-established control over its territory. Sierra Leone, with its miles of beaches, hopes to emulate Gambia in attracting tourists. There are few health facilities though: make sure you have adequate travel insurance. Current advice for travel to Sierra Leone is on the British Government site. More on Sierra Leone is on the BBC site.
Sierra Leone Dive Operators
Banana Divers Sierra Leone
Banjoko Rd
Dublin
Banana Island
Sierra Leone
0023276278120
E-mail: gd065@hotmail.com
http://banana-divers.biz.ly/
Open October to July
Banana island is 40 km from Freetown. Banana Divers offer boat and shore dives.
Diving Mozambique
Mozambique diving now has it's own section on the site.
Mozambique Dive Sites | Mozambique Dive Operators | Further Reading
Although Mozambique has had economic turmoil, it is an odd mix of first world and third world. If you have the money and the will you can find almost anything in the country. (Money, of course being relative to the fact that most of the population is considered very poor by first world standards. A lot of money in Mozambique is small change in respect to a first world currency). Most dive operations in Mozambique are run by South Africans.
I have dived most of the coast of Mozambique it is fantastic, from Whales and Mantas to leaf fish and harlequin shrimps.
Simon
Diving Botswana
Botswana - that land-locked country. Not the first place you might think of for a diving holiday. But you can now go diving with Nile Crocodiles in the Okavango Delta!
Whilst in Botswana carry some form of identification with you at all times. A photocopy of your passport is sufficient.
Photo credit: Tim Muttoo CC BY-SA 2.0
Umkomaas 4170
KZN
South Africa
Tel: +27 82 336 8573
E-mail: dive@scubasafaris.co.za
Offer diving with the Nile Crocodiles in the Okavango Delta. It takes place only in the month of July when diving conditions in the Delta is optimal. Have two boats at all times, only one client in the water with two guides, qualified paramedic on site, all inclusive private camp setup on private island or luxury houseboat. Only a handful have been able to put that in their logbook.
Diving South Africa
Diving South Africa now has its own section on the site at https://www.scubatravel.co.uk/africa/diving-south-africa.html
Diving Tanzania
Tanzania now has its own page - click here for more on diving in Zanzibar, Mafia Island, Pemba Island and elsewhere in Tanzania.
Diving Eritrea
Eritrea Dive Sites
Massawa
Lots of fish but also lots of plankton in the water. The main trouble is that you must be accompanied by a Dept. of Marine Affairs (or something like that) guide. They only have a limited number of boats and people make reservations far in advance. We just showed up and were only able to get a guide with a small boat to take us for a couple of 1/2 day trips. The good news is that the equipment they provide is in excellent condition and hassle-free. Plus the locals are super nice, and the local fish fare is terrific.
Gary Lachman.
Dahlak Islands
I finally made it to the Dahlak Islands in the Red Sea off the coast of Eritrea. Outstanding visibility, crowded with fish and bold coral formqtions, and NO PEOPLE! Plus, unlike those in the Caribbean, you can eat the barracuda and they are delicious! This time, I did have some mechanical difficulties with the equipment (faulty regulator) but fortunately the guide had brought along an extra one - no harm, no foul, just a little seawater down the gullet.
Gary Lachman
Further Reading
Lonely Planet: Ethiopia, Eritrea and Djibouti
Diving Egypt
See also Dahab, Elphinstone, The Brothers, Northern Wrecks, Sharm El-Sheikh, Hurghada and the rest of our Red Sea section.
Egypt Dive Sites
Mangrove Bay
300 km south of Hurghada. Shore diving and day boats. The rare Dugong live here and in calm weather you can go to Elphinstone on a day trip. It's run by Ducks Diving Centre in Hurghada.
Matthew Moore
Taba
I recently did a boat dive from Taba on the Red Sea. I had done a lot of snorkelling there in the past but scuba was reserved for the better reefs of Dahab and Sharm el Sheikh. It was a pleasant surprise to find some great diving so close to Taba and in quite pristine conditions. There are some newly opened sites which are accessible only by boat and offer some beautiful and untouched coral. The fish life is not as rich as further south but we saw morays, lots of lionfish, wrasse, and octopus, etc.
We dove with Aqua-Sport who have their own boat at the Taba Hilton. Highly recommended.
Howard Clayman
Samadai
Reviews:
The Dolphine House National Park, where a school of spinner dolphins set up home. Nice drift dive and cave dive.
Celine Montefusco, 2007
Marsa Abu Dabab
Reviews:
A Bay with Northern and Southern Reef covered with nice coral gardens. The middle is a grass bottom where a DUGONG often comes to eat.
Celine Montefusco, 2007
Soma Bay
Our 10 days in Soma Bay was just wonderful. It's just north of Safaga, about 45 km south of Hurghada. It's on a little peninsular, and at the moment there's hardly anything else there. Given the usual Egyptian approach to these things however, I guess it will be looking like Sharm el Sheikh 10 years from now. There are so few divers and the hard corals are still in great condition. Deepest dive I did was 38 m
Matthew Moore
Egypt Dive Operators
Alex Dive El Almein
Alex Dive El Almein is located inside 5 Stars resort Almaza bay, Alexandria.
ALEXANDRA DIVE CENTRE
ALEXANDRA DIVE CENTRE is located on the Eastern harbor of Alexandria next to Tikka Grill restaurant.
See also Red Sea Section.
Diving Tunisia
Tunisia now has it's own diving page here.
Tell us about your diving experiences in Tunisia...
Mahdia
Mahdia is a touristic town which was the capital of the Fatimide society from the year 905 to 956. About 10 minutes away by boat there are many wrecks from the second world war in 38 and 45 meters. To dive these wrecks contact the Subway Diving School in Mahdia.
Aymen
Port el Kantaoui
First open water dive - experience included plenty of marine life and a little 'cave' diving
Neil
Tunisia Dive Operators
Please tell us about Tunisian dive centres you have used. Fill in the form at https://www.scubatravel.co.uk/recommend.html.
Subway Diving School, Cap d'Afrique, Mahdia, Tunisia. Tel: (+216) 8 556 542.
OdySea, Hotel Le Sultan, Route Touristique Nord, 8050 Hammamet, Tunisia. Tel: (+216) 72 280 588, Fax: (+216) 72 280 373, E-mail: info@odyseadiving.com
SCUBA Dive Centre, Port Hergla, BP 16 4012 Hergla, Tunisia. Tel: 3 251 387, Fax: 3 251 388, E-mail: scuba@gnet.tn.
Delphinius Diving, 24 Rue Mustapha Kh'Rayief, Ezzahra, 4002 Sousse, Tunisia. Tel: (+216) 9852
0734, Fax: (+216) 7323 5299, E-mail: dive.dcm@gnet.tn
Alyssa Diving Centre, Hotel Kuriat Palace, 5000 Monastir, Tunisia.
Kantaoui Diving, Port El Kantaoui, Tunisia. E-mail: kantaouidiving@planet.tn
Reviews:
"I had an introductory dive session and first open water with this dive school. I found them to be very professional, attentive to the needs of thier clients and had a good command of English. My instructor (Waleed) was excellent and gave me total confidence in his abilities (and mine!) which is obviously important for a first dive. Excellent value for money: two dives and one to one tuition for less than £50.00. Can't wait to go again. "
Neil
Look out for Port El Kantaoui. I've found it to be up and coming. Ask for dive master Hechem. He's one of the better ones. I have dived with this centre 3 times and have booked for 2008. It has its quirks but its getting better. It's due for a PADI assessment in 2008 for centre qualification. I would recommend you take your own regs with you but that's about all. The price for a dive is 25 dinar (£14.00). Well worth it for 1 dive. It has some good dive locations for beginners and some for the more experienced. Remember to ask for Hechem when you book your dive.
Steven Murray, 2007
S.A.A.M. Diving Center, Thalassa Hotel, Monastir, Tunisia. Tel: (+216) 73 521 544, Fax: (+216) 73 212 510, E-mail: saam@diving-monastir.com
The best diving is at SAAM dive centre. I have dived in Tunisia many times and this is by far the most professional
Mick, 2007
Have dived with Hosnia and team about 8 times very professional and friendly.
Roger Lanning, 2008
Diving Malawi
Not in the sea but you can get underwater in Lake Malawi.
Lake Malawi in East Africa, is excellent for both experienced and novice divers with NAUI open water courses for about $120 US with Aqua Africa in Nkata Bay, combine this with 75% of the worlds tropical fish, amazing swim throughs, crocs and hippos and you've got one hell of a dive site.
Adam Henderson
Malawi Dive Operators
Please tell us about Malawi dives and dive centres. Fill in the form at https://www.scubatravel.co.uk/recommend.html.
Likoma Island Divers, Likoma Island, Po Box 79, Lake Malawi, Tel: 00265 999 746 122. E-mail: diving@mangodrift.com
Open all year.
Diving Kenya
Kenya has been promoted to its own page at https://www.scubatravel.co.uk/africa/diving-kenya.html. Please go there for updated information.
Diving Mauritius
New Diving Mauritius section now here.
Mauritius is an island in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar. There is diving all year round but December to March is said to be the best time to go.
We have some very nice dive sites over here: caves, wrecks, and island dives, as well as shark dives.
Cedric Fayolle, Ocean Spirit
Mauritius Dive Sites
Wreck of the Stella Maru, North West Mauritius
The Stella Maru, the Japanese fishing boat, is lying on the sand just in front of the corals and reef, at 25 m max. It has been there for about 15 years with very good life.
Iqbal Yacoob, Madelenadivers, Mauritius
Coral Garden, North West Mauritius
12-18 m. Full of coral with very good fish.
Iqbal Yacoob, Madelenadivers, Mauritius
Emilly and water lilly, North West Mauritius
Two barges with very much fish colour and feel great to be there at 25mts max. Do not forget to take your camera if you do not have one as a great dive!
Iqbal Yacoob, Madelenadivers, Mauritius
Passe St Jacques, Le Morne, Mauritius
Reviews:
Brilliant dive. Saw Jenkins Rays, Eagles rays, Huge Travelly and huge Vara Vara and an octopus. Overall plenty of fish. Big and small. All the guys who worked there were brilliant.
Martin, UK
White Tip, Le Morne, Mauritius
Reviews:
Sharks - 2 Big ones. Excellent Viz.
Martin, UK
Cathedral
Cave dive, lots of small colourful fish, crayfish, mollusks
Pierre
Mauritius Dive Operators
Ocean Spirit Royal Road, Pereybere, Mauritius Island. Tel: 230 766 31 68, Fax: 230 282 08 99, E-mail: info@osdiving.com
We are a little dive center in the north of the Island, small and friendly to change a bit from the big Industries.
Madelenadivers Mauritius Island. E-mail: niaka43@yahoo.com
Exploration Sous-Marine LTEE Villas Caroline Hotel, Flic-en-flac, Mauritius Island. E-mail: szalay@intnet.mu
Madelenadivers Mauritius Island. E-mail: niaka43@yahoo.com
Dive Sail Diving E-mail: divesail@intnet.mu.
"Situated North, East and West of Mauritius and offers a scuba diving passport which allows you to discover the island at a package price. The drift diving on the east coast pass is highly recomended with diving around the gunners coin island from the LUX*Grand Gaube Hotel as well as the artifical wreks and coral reefs from the Oberoi hotel."
Stephane
Indian Resort South West Coast, Mauritius Island.
Reviews:
Emperator Dive Centre Cap Malhereux, North side of Mauritius Island.
Reviews:
"Did several dives with Emperator Dive Centre in Cap Malhereux on the North side of the island. Professional and a fantastic centre to dive with. Lots of 25 - 32m dives off Coin de Mire Island with a wonderful variety of sea life."
Vanessa Ryan, 2011
Further Reading
Mauritius (Globetrotter Travel Guides)
Coral Reef Fishes: Indo-Pacific and Caribbean
A Diver's Guide to Reef Life
Cape Verde
Cape Verde is a group of islands in the Atlantic Ocean, 460 kilometers off the coast of Senegal. You can dive all year round in Cape Verde. Temperatures range from around 27 oC in Summer to 19 oC in Winter. For winter months you will need a 7 mm wetsuit, a 5mm one in summer.
Sal Island
I was diving in Sal Island, I did not expect much at the beginning but after several dives I was impressed by their marine biodiversity. Caves diving is certainly a must to do in Sal Island. I am thinking to return to Cabo Verde but would love to dive in other islands like Sao Vicente and Santo Antao.
Indah Susanti
Burakona, Sal Island
Volcanic place full of caves. Nice sea life.
Fernando Marin
Cape Verde Dive Operators
Orca Dive Club, Hotel Sab Sab, Cabo Verde, info@orca-diveclub-caboverde.com.
CaboVerdeDiving, Praia Santa Maria 4111 Ilha do Sal, Cabo Verde, caboverdediving@cvtelecom.cv
Pro Atlantic, Santa Maria, Ilha do Sal, Cabo Verde, proatlantic@cvtelecom.cv
Your Comments
We endeavour to keep this site as informative and current as possible. If you would like to recommend, or warn about, a particular dive or diving location, or ask a question, we'd love to hear from you.
Books of the World's Best SCUBA Diving
- Fifty Places to Dive Before You Die
- Chris Santella, 2008, 224 pages, Hardback
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- Diving the World
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- Ultimate Diving Adventures: 100 Extraordinary Experiences Under Water
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