Protea Banks

Protea Banks is a large offshore reef about 5 km out between Margate and Shelly Beach on the KwaZulu-Natal coast of South Africa. It is one huge dive site of caves, pinnacles, ridges and amphitheatres, and the main draw is the near certainty of meeting sharks. Divers must be qualified to dive to 30 m, and depths reach about 35 m.

Ragged-tooth sharks are common, and hammerheads, Zambezi sharks, bronze whalers and threshers have been identified on the banks, with the occasional great white. By season, ragged-tooth sharks are most common from June to November, hammerheads from December to March, tiger sharks from November to May, and bull sharks all year, peaking June to December. Blue sharks come in from May to August. There is a wide variety of reef fish as well.

It is a drift dive in open ocean, with strong currents shaped by wind and current, and deep water. Water temperature is 19 to 27°C. Arena Reef, about 8 km off Shelly Beach on Protea Banks, averages 28 m, and The Caves, also on the banks, hold a big cave filled with hard and soft corals.