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| Port Shepstone/Protea Banks |  
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Description:
Protea Banks lie approximately 8km offshore from Shelly Beach, near Margate, Ramsgate and Port Shepstone. Swimming with huge schools of sharks is the main attraction. Due to depth restraints, the reef is largely unexplored with divers tending to concentrate on a small stretch that is 4 km (2.5 miles long) and 200m (650ft) wide. For divers, the attraction of Protea Banks changes according to the season.
Protea Banks is rated as one of the world's best shark diving spots. All dives are boat dives. Divers are taken to the reefs in semi rigid boats that are launched directly from the beach and through the surf. The launches have been likened to white water rafting in wet suits. All dives are drift dives and are lead by local dive masters who know the reef intimately.
Visibility varies from 5 to 40 meters, and the water temperature in summer is 24+ ° C and in winter not colder than 19 ° C. The depths vary between 30 and 40 meters and one must be an experienced diver for these often 3 knot mid-water drift dives. This is adventure diving at it's best but for experienced divers only.
Species encountered on the reef include:
Bull (Zambezi), Tiger, Hammerhead, Thresher, Copper, Dusky, Ragged Tooth, Black Tip, and even the odd Mako shark. There is also a variety of reef fish, ribbon tail skates, moray eels, spotted eagle rays, manta rays and large schools of pelagic fish. Depending on the season one can also see dolphins and whales.
Ragged Tooth Sharks (grey nurse or sand tigers) come to Protea Banks in Kwazulu-Natal in spring (August/September) as part of their breeding ritual. Placid and slow moving, the "Raggies" accept the divers without fuss. November brings the game fish and they are followed by the Zambezi (bull) Sharks, classed as a dangerous species.
Hammerheads do not follow any seasonal pattern. They are shy and keep their distance. Tiger sharks are a often seen in summer but they tend to keep their distance. The sardine run in June/July brings the copper sharks. They scan the surface for the sardine shoals. Quick but shy, they are the smallest of the 7 species of shark commonly found in this area. | |
| Details: |
 Nearest commercial airport: Durban |
| Average watertemp: Min 19 - Max 24 oCelcius. |
| Average visibility: 20 Horizontal metres |
| Bottom composition: Sand, Corals, Rocks |
| 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 | | | Blacktip reef sharks |  | | | | | | | | | | | |  | |
| | | Bottlenose Dolphins | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | It is unfequent but sightings of bottlenose dolphins is possible on Protea Banks all year round.
| | | Bull sharks (Zambezi/Whaler) |  | | | | |  | | | | | | | | | You are very likely to encounter beautiful speciemens of bull sharks on Protea Banks. This kind of interactive diving is second to none.
| | | Copper sharks | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | The sardine run in June/July brings the copper sharks. They scan the surface for the sardine shoals. Quick but shy, they are the smallest of the 7 species of shark commonly found in this area.
| | | Eagle rays | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | Great White sharks | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Not very likely to encounter, but are seen here.
| | | Guitarfish rays | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | These large animals are easy to approach and are magnificent to view underwater.
| | | Mako sharks | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | Manta rays | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | Pelagic fish |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Schools of giant kingfish, barracuda, sailfish and bonito.
| | | Sand tiger sharks (Ragged Tooth) | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | Sardine Trek | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Shoals travel north from the cold southern oceans off South Africa's Cape Point. Shoals travel in masses stretching for up to fifteen kilometres in length, three and a half kilometres wide and nearly forty metres deep. Hundreds of predators arriving en mass to partake in a feeding frenzy. Birds, dol... (More)
| | | Scallopped Hammerhead sharks | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | Spinner sharks | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | These beautiful sharks can be seen on Protea Banks from October to May; they are awesome to view and are rather inquisitive.
| | | Tiger sharks | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Tiger Sharks are essentialy shy animals and an encounter is a very special occurance. You are most likely to see these animals during February and April
| | Probability of encounter:  0%,  0 > 60%,  60 > 90%,  90 > 100%
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