Needles

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 - Needles offers some of Cape Town & Western Cape's richest reef 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

CharacterReef dive

StandoutExceptional marine biodiversity

The Needles, just south of Malgas Island, is a site we keep coming back to, especially when the visibility plays along. It’s a series of rock pinnacles pushing up from the seabed, maxing out at about 13m, making it a fantastic shallow exploration. We typically drop in on the northern side, near the western corner, and let the current (if there is one) dictate our drift. What makes it special for us is that dense kelp forest hugging the rocks. It’s moody, a bit eerie, but incredibly beautiful when sunlight shafts through the fronds. You’ll find puffadder shy sharks tucked into the crevices, their patterns almost disappearing against the mottled rock. Crayfish peek out from under ledges, and we’ve spent many a dive just watching them. For fish, expect to see stompneus and kolsterte schooling through the kelp. Visibility here averages about 4m, but on a good day, it can stretch to double that, and that’s when the Needles really shines. It's a site that rewards patient exploration, perfect for divers who love the details of temperate reefs and aren't put off by a little surge.