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| Aliwal Shoal |  
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Description:
Aliwal Shoal is located off the coast of Umkomaas, at about 40 minutes South of Durban. Selected as one of the top ten dives sites of the world by the Diver Magazine the Shoal offers almost anything a diver can wish for. The shoal is lying 3 – 5 kms off shore and is on the inner edge of the Mozambiquan current, and the warm waters often provide for excellent visibility. The shoal is approximately 5kms in length, and runs in a north to south direction. All the diving is done from semi rigid boats that are launched from the river mouth and through the surf for a twenty-minute ride to the reef.
In summer you have every chance of seeing Tiger sharks and Hammerheads. Should you tire of the sharks, you can always dive on any of the wrecks or go hunting for the huge (and I mean huge) Brindle Bass. Other species (depending on the season) include Manta, Devil and other rays, schools of pelagic fish, whales, dolphins, and many, many more! | |
| Details: |
 Nearest commercial airport: Durban |
| Average watertemp: Min 20 - Max 25 oCelcius. |
| Average visibility: 25 Horizontal metres |
| Bottom composition: Sand, Corals, Rocks, Vegetation |
| Dive conditions: Salt water |
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Marinelife in the area:
| Species | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | | | Bull sharks (Zambezi/Whaler) |  | | |  |  | | | | | | | |  | |
| | | Green turtles |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | Manta rays | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | Sand tiger sharks (Ragged Tooth) | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Mating Ground (especially females hang around for several months). It is not uncommon to find 15 to 50 of these ferocious looking but docile animals on a single dive.
| | | Tiger sharks | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Probability of encounter:  0%,  0 > 60%,  60 > 90%,  90 > 100%
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