HARVEST NEPTUNE

Best months: Mar

Protected Area

Malgas Island Marine Protected Area

Why dive here

With 269+ marine species recorded in the area - including blue sharks, blue whales, dolphins, dwarf minke whales and great white sharks - HARVEST NEPTUNE 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 36m

StandoutExceptional marine biodiversity

The Harvest Neptune isn’t your typical deep wreck dive off Cape Town. We’ve always found it has a real personality, even stripped of its engines and scuttled unceremoniously back in ’77. Dropping onto the deck at 36 metres, you’re greeted by the ghostly skeletal remains of what was once a working trawler. Those missing engines leave gaping holes, making for some fascinating, if silty, swim-throughs into the engine room and accommodation block. Our favourite part is the bow, usually swarming with hottentot and strepies, often schooling so densely they almost obscure the rusted metal. Look for the nudibranchs on the superstructure, their colours a stark contrast to the monochrome steel. The bridge area is largely collapsed now, but the stern is still quite intact, offering shelter for shy red romans and a few inquisitive octopus. It’s a dark, atmospheric dive, often with a chill in the water, so a good drysuit or thick wetsuit is a must. If you love exploring the bones of a ship and appreciate the way nature reclaims man-made objects, the Harvest Neptune is a genuinely rewarding experience. Just be mindful of the often-strong surge and always keep an eye on your bottom time.