The dive site Eelskin Ridge is an offshore rocky reef with coral at Aliwal Shoal, near Umkomaas in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa.


Get in

edit

Access

edit

The site is only accessible by boat. It is about 7.2km from the launch site at the mouth of the Mkomazi river.

Position

edit
  • S30°15.804' E030°49.415' 1 Eelskin Ridge


This site is in a Marine Protected Area (2009). A permit is required.

Understand

edit

Depth

edit

Maximum depth is about 24m.

Visibility

edit

Visibility may exceed 12m

Topography

edit

Reef slopes up from west to east (inshore to offshore) in this area, and runs roughly parallel to coast.


Conditions

edit


This is an area which often has a slight current.


Devil firefish
Starfish
Turtle

Marine life

edit

A variety of fish and invertebrates can be seen: Turncoat hogfish, Devil firefish, Scorpionfish, Halfmoon rockcod, Crown squirrelfish, Black spotted blaasop, Yellow snapper, Barred filefish, Goldies, Blacksaddle goatfish, Clown triggerfish, Longnose butterflyfish, Moorish idol, Loggerhead turtles, Zigzag oyster, Radial sea pen/dead man's fingers, Desmarestia seaweed, encrusting coralline seaweeds, Dark grey turreted ball sponge, white encrusting colonial ascidian, branched black corals, white feathery hydroids, brown feather stars, Lobster, Striped and spotted anemones. buried sea cucumbers, cleaner shrimps, brown and orange spiky starfish, Slender brown squirts, Octopus,


Photography

edit

Suggested Routes

edit

Follow the divemaster.

Stay safe

edit

Hazards

edit

Skills

edit

No special skills required. Ability to deploy a DSMB recommended.

Equipment

edit

No special equipment required. A DSMB and reel could be useful if you have to surface away from the dive leader.

Back to Diving Aliwal Shoal

This dive guide to Eelskin ridge is an outline and needs more content. It has a template, but there is not enough information present. Please plunge forward and help it grow!