HALERIC

Best months: Mar

Protected Area

Paternoster Rocks Provincial Nature Reserve

Why dive here

With 269+ marine species recorded in the area - including blue sharks, blue whales, dolphins, dwarf minke whales and great white sharks - HALERIC offers some of Cape Town & Western Cape's richest wreck diving. Water ranges 14-16°C, warmest February, March, April.

Best timeMar

WetsuitA 7mm wetsuit with a hood

Marine lifeBlue Sharks, Blue Whales, Dolphins, Dwarf Minke Whales and Great White Sharks · 269+ species recorded

Water14-16°C · warmest February, March, April

CharacterWreck dive · max 25m

StandoutExceptional marine biodiversity

The Halerica. Even the name sounds like a rumble in the deep. This isn't one of those polite, broken-up wrecks, it’s a proper behemoth, 125 metres of steamship sprawled across the seabed off Paternoster Point. We love a wreck that still feels like a ship, and the Halerica delivers. She’s definitely dangerous, as the official classification warns, but that just adds to the thrill, doesn't it? You get a real sense of her sheer scale here, the bow section still rising defiantly, the stern completely broken. We’d suggest heading down early morning, before any wind picks up, because it can get choppy out here. Dropping onto the wreck, you’ll first notice the incredible growth, a colourful carpet of soft corals and anemones that have completely claimed the steel plates. Look closely, and you’ll spot a resident octopus or a shy catshark tucked into a crevice. The holds are still somewhat intact, offering swim-throughs if you're comfortable and properly trained. It’s a site for experienced divers, no doubt, but the sheer size and historical weight of the Halerica make it a truly memorable dive.