Fontao
Conditions & tides
Scored by DiveConnect's site-physics model
Marine forecast via Copernicus Marine. Score is a rule-based guide from swell/wind vs. the site's exposure — always dive your own assessment.
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About this site
Fontao is a wreck off Umhlanga Rocks in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. She is a disused prawn trawler, 34.5 m long, 8 m wide and 13.5 m high, and was one of three artificial reefs sunk by the Oceanic Research Institute on 8 August 1991. The wreck lies upright on a sandy bottom at depths of 15 to 27 m.
The ship is mostly intact, except for the wheelhouse, which has broken off and lies on the sand. Penetration is possible but the openings are very restricted.
The wreck swarms with bait fish, and the sheer number of them can restrict visibility. Take that into account together with the penetration option. Fontao is dived on a shot line.
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Diving as a group can be difficult, so stick to the buddy pair system. Between you and your buddy, carry a deployed marker buoy so you can ascend on a line if you cannot ascend with the group. The wreck can get busy. Running out of air and going into decompression are the major risks on this dive.
Marine life here
Confirmed by our research team, reported by independent divers, or observed nearby via iNaturalist — each entry is labelled with its source.
Leaf scorpionfishLeaf scorpionfishReported here · unconfirmed
Durable tips from divers — access, hazards, marine life, facilities. For day-of conditions, use the report tool in the conditions card above.
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