What is Protea Banks?
Protea Banks is a long, narrow reef of fossilised sandstone lying several kilometres off the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast, near Shelly Beach and Margate. It rises from much deeper water and sits in the path of the warm Agulhas Current, which sweeps along the coast. That combination of depth, current and open ocean is what attracts the sharks, and it is also what makes Protea Banks a demanding dive.
The reef is deep. Even its shallower parts lie below the limits of entry-level certification, and most dives are planned as deep dives, often on nitrox, with short bottom times. Divers usually need an advanced certification and a good number of logged dives, and dive centres often want to see recent experience in current and in deeper water before they take you out. If you are new to this kind of diving, build up on the shallower sites of Aliwal Shoal first.
The sharks of Protea Banks
Zambezi sharks
Bull sharks
Heavy-bodied, powerful sharks that South Africans call Zambezis. Protea Banks is one of the best-known places in the world to see them on scuba, mainly in the summer months.
Scalloped hammerheads
Seasonal schools
In the warmer months, schools of hammerheads can be seen in the blue near the reef. They are shy, and the best views come to divers who stay calm and keep their bubbles down.
Tiger sharks
Summer visitors
Large, curious and impressive, tiger sharks are seen on and around the banks, mostly in summer, sometimes on baited dives.
Raggedtooth and copper sharks
Winter visitors
In winter, raggedtooth sharks gather on parts of the reef, and copper sharks (bronze whalers) appear, especially around the time of the Sardine Run.
Other sharks, rays, big game fish, turtles and dolphins add to the list. Humpback whales pass in winter and spring, and you may hear their song underwater. For the full picture of what lives where, see our guide to shark diving in South Africa.
How the dives work
Boats launch through the surf, usually from Shelly Beach, and run out to the banks. Dive centres pick a site depending on the season and the current. Divers often talk about the Northern and Southern Pinnacles, two areas of the reef with their own character.
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Negative entry
Because of the current, divers usually enter together and descend straight away, without waiting at the surface, so the group lands on the reef together rather than being scattered by the current.
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On the reef or in the blue
Some dives stay near the reef, where sharks patrol the edges. Others hang in the blue water above it. Depth and no-decompression limits mean the time at the bottom is short, so planning matters.
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Drift ascent
The group drifts with the current during the ascent and does its safety stop in open water, with a surface marker buoy deployed so the skipper can follow. Being comfortable doing a controlled ascent with no reference is essential.
Is it for you? Protea Banks rewards divers who are calm in current, confident in deep water with no visual reference, and good at managing their air and computer. If any of that is new to you, start with other KwaZulu-Natal sites and come back later.
When to go
The sharks of Protea Banks change with the seasons. Summer, roughly November to April, is the season for Zambezi sharks, hammerhead schools and tiger sharks. Winter brings raggedtooth sharks, copper sharks and, in some years, the action of the Sardine Run, as well as humpback whales passing offshore. Conditions depend on the wind, the swell and the current, so allow spare days in case dives are cancelled.
Planning a Protea Banks trip
The KwaZulu-Natal South Coast is a drive south from Durban, and King Shaka International Airport is the usual arrival point. Many divers combine Protea Banks with Aliwal Shoal on the same trip, and some continue north to Sodwana Bay for reef diving. Bring your certification card and logbook, as operators will want to see your experience, and consider a nitrox certification before you come. A 5 mm wetsuit is normal. Our South Africa dive trip planning guide covers flights, insurance and permits.
Build up to the banks
Shallower shark dives at Aliwal Shoal are the natural warm-up for Protea Banks.