Diving the Tsitsikamma/Middle Bank

The dive site Middle Bank is an offshore rocky reef in the Storms River mouth area of the Tsitsikamma National Park Marine Protected Area, in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa.

Understand

Position

Offshore from Storms River mouth

Depth

The top of the reef is about 25 m, and it slopes down to well below 30 m on the seaward side. (Average depth is likely to be about 30 m.)

Visibility

Visibility is variable. It may be less than 1 m, and very dark, or as much as 20 m and quite well illuminated, but more likely to be somewhere between. It is not necessarily predictable from inshore or surface conditions.

Topography

The site is a rocky ridge lying roughly parallel to the shoreline.

Geology: Sedimentary rock, possibly of the Devonian Gydo formation. Strike is probably roughly east-west, and dip appears to be near horizontal. The bank may approximate a syncline or anticline of the heavily folded Table Mountain series.

Get in

Middle Bank is only accessible by boat as it is quite a distance offshore.

See

Marine life

Marine life is typical of the south coast part of the Agulhas bioregion.

• 
  Soft coral
• 
  Colonial ascidians
• 
  Blue hottentot seabream
• 
  Sea fan
• 
  Colonial ascidians
• 
  Sea fans
• 
  Soft coral
• 
  Sponge
• 
  Green sponge
• 
  Two colour morphs of noble coral
• 
  Kelp (Ecklonia radiata?)
• 
  Basket star on noble coral
• 
  White sea fan
• 
  Starfish
• 
  Colonial ascidians

Photography

Excellent site for photography of benthic invertebrates, either wide angle or macro. Due to the depth, artificial lighting will be necessary even in good visibility. Also a good site for reef fish photography.

Suggested Routes

Drift dive along the reef if the current is running in a suitable direction. Try to end up at the top of the reef.

Stay safe

Hazards

This is a site where strong currents may run. There is a high risk of being separated from the group in poor visibility, and the boat may have difficulty keeping track of the divers.

Skills

Ability to deploy a DSMB is strongly recommended. This should be deployed either just before start of ascent, or during the ascent. Regular SMB is only suitable for a drift dive as it will be pulled strongly by the current if the divers try to stay in one place at the bottom.

Equipment

Each buddy pair at least should carry a DSMB and be able to deploy it in midwater to indicate that the divers are ascending, and where they are during ascent.

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