Butchers
Protected Area
Aliwal Shoal Marine Protected Area
Why dive here
With 490+ marine species recorded in the area - including barracuda, blue sharks, bull sharks, eagle rays and great white sharks - Butchers offers some of KwaZulu-Natal's richest reef diving. Water ranges 21-26°C, warmest January, February, March.
Butchers reef in KwaZulu-Natal feels like exploring an ancient, sunken city. It's a landscape of immense boulders, creating deep gullies and shaded overhangs where all sorts of characters hide. We love drifting through the deeper sections, maybe 25 metres down, scanning for blotchfin scorpionfish perfectly camouflaged against the rock, or a tiger shark cruising by in the blue. The reef top, at around 19 metres, is home to dense schools of blue and gold fusiliers, sometimes so thick they completely obscure the sun for a moment. Look closely for snakehead cowries tucked into crevices and keep an eye out for bluespotted stingrays on the sand patches. Visibility averages around 14 metres, which is often enough to appreciate the scale of this site. Butchers is our pick for experienced divers who enjoy exploring structure and have a keen eye for finding the more elusive residents. It’s a dive that rewards slow exploration over speedy finning.
Typical Butchers Dive Profile
Illustrative profile based on site depth and type. Actual dive profiles vary - always follow your dive computer and training.
Nearest Dive Centres to Butchers
Dive shops near Butchers
MISS BEHAVIN’S MERMAIDS
ScubaXcursion
Aliwal Shoal Adventures - Ocean Warriors
Blue Ocean Dive Resort
Reviews for Butchers
Conditions
Ocean conditions, forecast and tides for Butchers
Butchers Ocean Conditions
Monthly averages for Butchers, sourced from Open-Meteo marine data - nearest station: Open-Meteo marine grid (-30.31, 30.76) (42km away)
October Averages
Sea Temperature
22°C
71°F · Range: 21–22.7°C
Air Temperature
20°C
68°F
Wind Speed
7.64 m/s
14.9 knots
Atmospheric Pressure
1017.9 hPa
Based on 4 years of monitoring data · Data sources: Open-Meteo marine data
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