CRAGNESS - Sodwana Bay
Cragness is a wreck dive, pure and simple, and one of our favourites for its sheer scale. This steamship, over 125 metres long, went down off Barracouta Point in 1924, on its way from Port Natal to Perim Island. Today, the sheer size of the Cragness is what gets you. We’ve spent whole dives just trying to get a feel for the bow section, then swinging wide around the collapsing superstructure towards the stern. Visibility here can vary, but on a good day, when the current isn’t too feisty, it feels like you're exploring a sunken city. Keep an eye out for potato bass lurking in the deeper holds, and we often see massive schools of snapper swirling through what used to be the cargo bays. It's a proper adventure dive, best suited for experienced wreck divers who appreciate history and don't mind a bit of current. Don't rush it; pick a section and really explore its nooks and crannies. There's always something new to spot.
- Location
- Sodwana Bay, South Africa, Indian Ocean & East Africa
- Coordinates
- -27.183332, 32.808334
- Type
- wreck
- Maximum Depth
- 0m
Marine Protected Area: Maputaland Marine Reserve
Best Time to Dive in Sodwana Bay
The warmest water temperatures in Sodwana Bay occur in January, averaging 28.1°C. The coolest conditions are in December at 28.1°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 28.1°C (air: 25.1°C)
- February: 28.1°C (air: 25.2°C)
- March: 28.1°C (air: 24.5°C)
- April: 28.1°C (air: 22.7°C)
- May: 28.1°C (air: 21.1°C)
- June: 28.1°C (air: 19.1°C)
- July: 28.1°C (air: 18.8°C)
- August: 28.1°C (air: 19.5°C)
- September: 28.1°C (air: 20.6°C)
- October: 28.1°C (air: 21.6°C)
- November: 28.1°C (air: 23.3°C)
- December: 28.1°C (air: 24.6°C)
Nearby Dive Sites in Sodwana Bay
- 2 Mile Reef - 5-20m (reef)
- 2 Mile Reef Pinnacles (reef)
- 2 Mile Reef Pinnacles (pinnacle)
- 2 Mile Stringer (reef)
- 2 Mile Stringer (wreck)
- 300 - 48m (wreck)
- 3 Mile Reef Hotspots (reef)
- 3 Mile Reef Hotspots (wreck)
- 7 Mile Reef (reef)
- 7 Miles Reef (reef)
- 7 Miles Reef (reef)
- 9 Mile Coral Tree (reef)
- 9 Mile Coral Tree (reef)
- 9 Mile Reef (reef)
- Adventure Reef - 2 Mile Reef (reef)
Nearest Dive Centres to CRAGNESS
- Coral Divers - ["PADI"]
- Gozo Azul Diving - ["PADI"]
- Malongane Beach Resort - ["PADI"]
- Maputo Dive Center - ["PADI"]
- Mermaids Cove Ei
- Occi Scuba - ["PADI"]
Marine Life in Sodwana Bay
Home to 579 recorded species including 443 reef fish, 49 sharks & rays, 35 hard corals, 12 seagrass & algae, 8 crabs & lobsters, 7 whales & dolphins.
Notable Species
- Bull Shark (Carcharhinus leucas) - Sharks & Rays
- Soldier (Cheimerius nufar) - Reef Fish
- Tiger Shark (Galeocerdo cuvier) - Sharks & Rays
- Narrow-barred Spanish mackerel (Scomberomorus commerson) - Reef Fish
- Leatherback Sea Turtle (Dermochelys coriacea)
- Mozambique mouth-breeder (Oreochromis mossambicus) - Reef Fish
- Silver moony (Monodactylus argenteus) - Reef Fish
- Manini (Acanthurus triostegus) - Reef Fish
- African Weakfish (Atractoscion aequidens) - Reef Fish
- Dorado (Coryphaena hippurus) - Reef Fish
- Hound Needlefish (Tylosurus crocodilus) - Reef Fish
- Jack (Selar crumenophthalmus) - Reef Fish
- Spangled emperor (Lethrinus nebulosus) - Reef Fish
- honeycomb stingray (Himantura uarnak) - Sharks & Rays
- loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta)
- Crescent Grunter (Terapon jarbua) - Reef Fish
- Blackspot Surgeonfish (Acanthurus nigrofuscus) - Reef Fish
- Dusky grouper (Epinephelus marginatus) - Reef Fish
- Coral Blenny (Istiblennius edentulus) - Reef Fish
- Bluefish (Kyphosus vaigiensis) - Reef Fish
Recommended Packing List for CRAGNESS
Based on average water temperature of 28.1°C.
- Shorty or Rashguard - warm 28°C water needs minimal exposure protection
- Mask - essential for every dive
- Fins
- BCD - buoyancy compensator
- Regulator - your most safety-critical piece of gear
- Dive Computer - tracks depth, time, and NDL
- Surface Marker Buoy (SMB) - essential for boat pickups
- Dive Torch - useful for crevices and colour at depth
- Underwater Camera - capture your diving memories