AMAZON

Depth: 26 - 30 m

Distance/Travel Time: 20km / 35 - 45 min

Highlights: Predatory Sharks

Certification Level: Advanced

Amazon is both our furthest and most challenging dive site, but it is well worth the effort. The depth, current and reef topography make it suitable only for experienced divers with Advanced certification or higher. White Tip Reef Sharks & Leopard Sharks can be found sleeping on the sandy bottom or in the various caves, and always keep an eye up in midwater as an exciting surprise is not out of the question – Hammerheads are, at times, known to patrol.

The site is also home to a colourful array of reef fish and schools of Barracuda, Bannerfish and Surgeonfish abound. Combine this site with The Office for an awesome double tank dive.

CLOWN FISH REEF

Depth: 5 - 10 m

Distance/Travel Time: 1km / 5 min

Highlights: Local reef fish / training site

Certification Level: Discover Scuba Diving/Open Water Training

Clownfish Reef is our site for the first taster of scuba diving – no certificate needed! It is named after the Clownfish that are found living in the many sea anemones that dot the site. The site sits inside the bay directly out from Tofo Beach.

This site acts as a nursery for many of the local reef fish so uniquely coloured juveniles abound. Keep an eye out for Octopus hiding in the crevices. Small Morays can often be found in the numerous small nooks along with various species of shrimp; Peacock Mantis, Cleaner, Banded Boxer, to name a few.

SALON

Depth: 12 - 16 m

Distance/Travel Time: 2 km / 5 min

Highlights: Rays / Cleaner Shrimp - hence the name!

Certification Level: Open Water

The Salon is ideal for training dives, refresher dives and long, relaxing dives for experienced divers. Salon is also our night dive site. It consists of a coral outcrop that climbs about 6 m up from the sandy bottom.

Mask Rays often shoot out from the sand right under unsuspecting divers while Electric Torpedo Rays hide in the small caves. A resident Green Turtle may be found having a snooze, and almost a dozen species of crustacean can be found on this site. Gently place your hand in front of one of the Cleaner Shrimp and see if it will give you a manicure, just make sure you check for Morays first! The reef is also home to a large number of Octopus and sometimes Reef Squid.

MARBLE ARCH

Depth: 14 - 19 m

Distance/Travel Time: 7 km / 15 - 20 min

Highlights: Whale Shark, Fish Schools & Topography

Certification Level: Open Water

The closest southern shallow site that lies in Whale Shark Alley, Marble Arch is named after 3 inter-connected arched swim-throughs leading to the outside of the donut-shaped reef that has walls rising 6-8m from the sandy bottom. The entrances are are guarded by schools of Snapper and Goatfish. A client favourite, it is a fun site to explore and practice your buoyancy as you glide through the arches, corridors and swim-throughs.

PRAIA DA ROCHA

Depth: 10 - 14 m

Distance/Travel Time: 9 km / 15 - 20 min

Highlights: Maze-like topography & colourful soft coral

Certification Level: Open Water

Praia da Rocha is one of the most unique and colourful sites in the Tofo area. Its proximity to shore and shallow depth lead to a greater abundance of coral than at the deeper sites. Colourful hard and soft coral cover the large boulders that cover this site. Swim the channels between them looking for Nudibranches and shy reef fish. Look closely for the elusive Spanish Dancer nudibranch.

This site is a photographers dream, with its sunlit, shallow waters and bright colours, but it can only be dived under specific conditions due to its proximity to the rocky point.

REGGIES

Depth: 25 - 30m

Distance/Travel Time: 15  km / 25 - 35 min

Highlights: 2 Manta cleaning stations & Sharks

Certification Level: Advanced

The site is named after a big cave which is often guarded by a sleepy Leopard Shark. This is one of those sites where one eye needs to be on the reef, the other in the blue because Grey Reef and White Tip Reef sharks patrol frequently and there are 2 Manta cleaning stations to look out for. It is a great site to combine with The Office for a double tank.

SHERWOOD FOREST

Depth: 25 - 30m

Distance/Travel Time: 4  km / 10 - 15 min

Highlights: Huge Cleaning Station

Certification Level: Advanced

This site lies in deep water toward the north end of Tofo Bay. It is a small site that can only be dived under mild current conditions. The site is named for the numerous large green tree corals that provide a perfect home for schools of Humpback & Big Eye Snapper & Palette Surgeon Fish. Potato Groupers often suspend in the current just off the wall while Jenkins, and Blotched Fantail Rays can be found sleeping on the bottom. Honeycomb Morays share their lairs with Cleaner Shrimp. A Loggerhead Turtle sometimes naps under the overhang and there is a cleaning station on top of the main reef, and if Manta, Smalleye or Marble Rays come in to clean they can stay for the entire dive. Off to the side of the main reef is a pinnacle with a swim through that is always fun!

HOGWARTS

Depth: 23 - 30m

Distance/Travel Time: 18 km / 30 - 40 min

Highlights: Manta cleaning station

Certification Level: Advanced

Hogwarts provides yet another chance to spot one of the main attractions of Tofo diving: the Manta Ray. With three cleaning stations the possibilities are good. It can be a tricky site though, currents can be odd, and negative entry is definitely required. You drop on a pinnacle just off the main reef before heading over to the wall and following it along. There are overhangs and swim-throughs to keep the topography interesting and check out every nook and cranny because Loggerhead Turtles are often having a snooze.

This site is not just about those Mantas; the macro life here is excellent with chances to spot the cryptic Frogfish, Leaf Fish and many types of Nudibranch.

GIANT'S CASTLE

Depth: 25 - 30m

Distance/Travel Time: 3 km / 5 - 10 min

Highlights: This is the site where ANYTHING can happen!

Certification Level: Advanced

Giant's Castle is a deep site that lies just on the edge of Tofo Bay. It is a ridge that runs north to south at a depth of 25 - 30 metres. This is one of the best sites in the area to encounter the majestic Manta Ray, as well as the rare Smalleye Stingray: the world's largest stingray. If we are lucky the Mantas and Smalleyes hover over the cleaning stations while schools of Butterflyfish and Wrasses clean them of parasites. Everything seems to be on steroids on this site. Huge Potato Groupers often come in for a curious look, and then follow divers around just for the fun of it. Big Honeycomb Moray Eels lie about on the reef and even the Parrotfish are whoppers! As we drift with the current it is always worth staying eagle-eyed out into the blue as is every chance of spotting Devil Rays, Eagle Rays, Big Sharks, maybe even a Marlin, and during the winter months Humpback Whales may cruise by!

TABLE TOP

Depth: 26 - 34m

Distance/Travel Time: 4 km / 5 - 10 min

Highlights: Cleaning Station

Certification Level: Advanced

This deep site is only possible in mild current conditions. The dive site is a North-South Wall with several pinnacles to the west of the wall. The top of the reef is covered with Green Tree Coral giving shelter to clouds of Redtooth Triggerfish, Surgeonfish and Trevally. At the end of the wall we swim in mid-water across a sandy channel where large Stingrays often lie motionless on the bottom. We then reach a second wall on the west side of the dive site where a couple of cleaning stations give a chance to spot Manta Rays. Large Potato Bass and Moray Eels can be seen hiding in crevices. A long safety stop is recommended since groups of Devil Rays sometimes come up from the depths and fly in formation around the divers.

THE OFFICE

Depth: 26 - 34m

Distance/Travel Time: 15 km / 25 - 35 min

Highlights: Deep dive with Manta sightings

Certification Level: Advanced

The Office lies north of Tofo Beach and well out in the Mozambique Channel. Consequently, the visibility is often better here than at the sites closer to shore. We descend through schools of Redtooth Triggerfish and Surgeonfish into a sandy bowl. From there we move south with the current, keeping our eyes out for White Tips & Grey Reef Sharks,and Jenkins, Marble and Honeycomb rays. The reef is home to numerous species of Moray Eel including the impressive Giant and Honeycomb Morays. It also teems with bigger reef fish like Groupers, Wrasses and Triggerfish. Both Loggerhead and Green Turtles are found here. Always check out the large overhangs for sleepy beasts! Leopard Sharks are also seen here frequently during the summer months. It also offers some of the best chances to encounter Humpback Whales on scuba during the season.

MIKE'S CUPBOARD

Depth: 14 - 17m

Distance/Travel Time: 3.5 km / 10 - 12 min

Highlights: Moray Eels & Octopus

Certification Level: Open Water

A large, shallow dive site, Mike's Cupboard offers something for both novice and experienced divers alike. The site is a low profile reef, surrounded by sand, with 3 large bowls cut out of it. These bowls provide cover for schools of small baitfish. These fish attract Bluefin and Yellowfin Trevally that will often swoop in front of divers while on the hunt. A resident school of Batfish always delights. Many species of small ray hide in the sand: Masked, Shovelnose, Marbled Electric and every now and then larger rays can pay a visit. The site is also home to the occasional Loggerhead Turtle. Approach slowly and they may let you get that perfect photo. The top of the reef abounds with colourful Nudibranches, sponges and sea stars. Schools of fusiliers will descend on the reef and circle around you as you move from hole to hole.

CHAMBER OF SECRETS

Depth: 14 - 18m

Distance/Travel Time: 8 km / 15 - 20 min

Highlights: Topography

Certification Level: Open Water

Chamber of Secrets is another shallow site that lies in Whale Shark Alley, and so the journey to and from may well be punctuated with a snorkel with the biggest fish in the ocean! It forms a horseshoe with dramatic walls rising 6 - 8 m above the sandy bottom. There are a number of challenging corridors and crevices to explore and numerous little nooks, after which the site is named, that provide shelter for Rays, Moray Eels, Lobsters, Shrimp and shy reef fish. Practically every nook and cranny has a hiding Porcupine Fish wedged in it.

MANTA REEF

Depth: 19 - 26m

Distance/Travel Time: 15 km / 25 - 35 min

Highlights: Tofo’s fishiest site!

Certification Level: Advanced

A World Class dive site by any measure. Although the site is named after the majestic ray we hope to encounter, it is not necessarily the best site for these encounters – it is however, undoubtably the fishiest, easiest and shallowest of Tofo’s deep sites and so it makes the perfect site for the first deep dive from the Advanced Course.

This site is huge and deserves more than one visit. The flat reef plateau is bordered by 5 - 10m walls to the north and south. The cleaning stations are found on the top edge of the reef so excellent buoyancy control is needed in order to not damage the reef or disturb anything enjoying a spruce up on the cleaning stations.

Large, motionless schools of Bigeyes, Snapper and Goatfish, congregate on the north wall, and look up and we often see Batfish and Bigeye Trevally – all of which provide excellent photo ops. The caves and pinnacles provide shelter for Potato Groupers, Loggerhead Turtles and Giant Morays. The reef is also home to numerous smaller reef fish, Morays, Groupers, and colourful Nudibranches. Even on the safety stop, it is wise to stay alert, Humpback Whales, Whale Sharks & Devil Rays have been known to cruise by before disappearing again into the blue.

SIMON'S TOWN

Depth: 15 - 17 m

Distance/Travel Time: 7 km / 15 - 20 min

Highlights: Topography

Certification Level: Open Water

This site lies right in the heart of Whale Shark Alley south of Tofo, and so, as with all the southern sites, we set off armed with snorkels in the hope that we will encounter the largest fish in the ocean on the boat ride. The reef makes a large amphitheatre that provides protection for numerous species of Wrasse, Butterflyfish and Angelfish. Schools of Snapper, Batfish and Bigeye suspend above the reef. Yellowfin and Bluefin Trevally will come in and check out divers. Colourful Nudibranchs dot the walls and the top of the reef. Torpedo Rays are often found sleeping in caves or hunting over the reef while Mask Rays lie buried in the sand. Small Morays and Snake Eels can often be found throughout the site. Parrotfish feed on the reef. Octopus hunt Lobster while Cleaner Shrimp hide in the small nooks and crannies. Colourful juvenile reef fish abound. This site is huge, and so great for those who barely breathe!