Aliwal Shoal, situated off the coast of Umkomaas – a small coastal town on the subtropical south coast of KwaZulu-Natal – is a rocky reef resting atop an ancient fossilized shoreline. The reef lies along the inner edge of the tropical Agulhas Current, which brings with it an enormous variety of tropical species. A popular dive site, Aliwal Shoal’s primary reef measures over three km by one km in warm, clear waters that support various corals and other invertebrate species as well as reef fish, turtles and ragged-tooth, tiger, whale, black tip, bull, copper, hammerhead and great white sharks. A small marine protected area manages activities in Aliwal Shoal with no-take zones and other restrictions.
