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Log This Dive

False Bay Kelp Forest

Diving a kelp forest is a different beast entirely, and False Bay’s offering is one of our favourites. Think of it as a dimly lit, underwater cathedral, light filtering down through the swaying fronds of giant bamboo kelp. It’s shallow, mostly 5-18m, which means decent bottom time to really explore the nooks and crannies. We love drifting through the shafts of light, looking for the tiny stuff – pygmy pipehorses clinging to the stalks, or the surprisingly colourful nudibranchs like the Cape Silvertip. It’s an intermediate dive, mainly because of the potential for surge and currents, especially if you get a bit further out. But stick closer to shore, and it’s generally calmer. Keep an eye out for the Cape fur seals; they're incredibly playful and often zoom past, darting in and out of the kelp. While the big draw for some is the chance of a sevengill cow shark sighting, we find the real magic in the smaller critters and the ethereal light. This spot really suits divers who appreciate a unique environment and enjoy hunting for macro life, rather than expecting big pelagics.