If you are a scuba diver living in the seaside resort town of Margate, you must adapt to your environment. The KwaZulu-Natal coast of South Africa is subject to strong currents and the waters are filled a wide variety of sharks.

Article by Kevin Majoros

African Dive Adventures has embraced where they live and have a selection of offerings for people looking for ocean adventures. The Protea Banks are located 7.5km off the coast and the reef is frequented by more than ten species of sharks. The cage-free shark diving is among the best in the world.

Once a year, African Dive Adventures move their base south to Coffee Bay on the Wild Coast for the annual Sardine Run. Their five-day package allows adventurers to witness the billions of sardines on their spawning journey north to cooler waters. The run creates a feeding frenzy for sharks, dolphins, whales, gannets and other species.

If you are looking for a pure adrenaline experience, then African Dive Adventures is for you.

The unlikely journey to shark diving in South Africa

Roland Mauz grew up in southern Germany and always enjoyed the coastal holidays he spent with his family. He wasn’t one to venture past his knees though when it came to the sea. After meeting his future wife Beulah in Germany, he moved with her to her native country of South Africa. They married in Comoros and Beulah had a surprise for Roland.

“I was probably the most unlikely person to pick up diving, but Beulah booked a scuba course without telling me,” says Mauz. “It was a 9m coral dive and from that first moment, I couldn’t wait to get in again.”

When they returned to Margate, Mauz was on a mission to pursue his newfound love for scuba diving. He wasn’t overly keen on diving with sharks, but his instructors encouraged him to just enjoy them. Together, Roland and Beulah launched African Dive Adventurers in 1996 and shark diving became their livelihood.

“In the beginning, we wondered if there would be a rogue shark that acted differently than the other sharks,” Mauz says. “Twenty years later we have had no incidents with cage-free shark diving.”

Mauz says that you learn very quickly by observing their behavior on a daily basis. With over 3,700 dives, his experience is that along with their curiosity, sharks are mainly interested in feeding and reproducing.

“Every day of diving with them is a privilege and I am always looking forward to the next day,” says Mauz.

Experiencing the Sardine Run in Coffee Bay

From May to July, sardines move north along the South African coastline to drop their eggs in cool water. Their instinctual behavior is to group together when they are threatened. The phenomenon results in a bait ball for predators such as sharks, dolphins, whales and gannets.

“For years, we didn’t realize that such a valuable natural event was occurring right in front of us,” Mauz says. “African Dive Adventures was among the first to dive in with the sardines.”

The shoals can be more than 7km long, 1.5km wide and 30m deep. They can also be as small as an armchair. The bait ball can last from just a few minutes to an hour. Ninety percent of the diving is with fins and mask instead of scuba gear.

“The Sardine Run is an unbelievable experience and we spend entire days out on the launch,” says Mauz. “We can watch thousands of dolphins churning out a bait ball and then a call comes in from the microlight. Our eye in the sky points us to the next bait ball and we’re off to the next spot.”

In addition to the underwater predators, adventurers are treated to an aerial assault by gannets. Using their wings, they can dive as deep as 20m to snatch up the sardines.

Shark conservation and ecotourism on the KwaZulu-Natal coast

Naturally, there will always be a clash between the fishing community and the diving community. African Dive Adventures was involved in stopping the Shark Fishing Competition and works against the Natal Anti Sharks Measures Board.

“If you make a living out of your environment, you are a friend to your environment,” Mauz says. “We are very much conservation-oriented, and we do whatever is in our power to be involved. Shark fisherman are in the blood sport business and we are in the ecotourism business. We want as many sharks as possible.”

The misconceptions about sharks have led to overfishing, drum lines and netting which are decimating the population. What becomes lost is their role in the ecosystem by maintaining the species below them in the food chain. They also serve as an indicator for ocean health by keeping the balance with competitors, helping to ensure species diversity.

Living the shark life on the Protea Banks

African Dive Adventures has a guarantee – a shark sighting every day – up to eight species every day. With so many divers who have seen it all, the Protea Banks can offer something new.

“Most of our visitors classify the Protea Banks as one of the best dive experiences of their life,” says Mauz. “There are days when you can see over 1,000 hammerhead sharks in a 40-minute dive. And seeing a tiger shark is only a good thing – it can never be bad.”

Mauz encourages his visiting divers, who can also attend PADI and SSI courses on site, to stay for several days.

“You will see a shark on your first day, but several days will give you a better understanding of what you are seeing,” Mauz says. “For twenty years I have been very lucky. Each morning I wake up looking forward to the adventure that the day will bring.”

You can visit Roland and Beulah at http://www.afridive.com/

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

The Kiss of the Tigershark (0:32s) 

Published by Roland Mauz, African Dive Adventures

African Dive Adventures Sardine Run dive (1:08s)

Published by Danny Mispelblom, shows Sardine Run scuba diving with African Dive Adventures.

Sardine Run 2017 South Africa @Coffee Bay with ADA in 4k (2:57)

Published by Dive Cooky, shows best of 9 days out on Sardine Run with African Dive Adventures

Kevin Majoros shares stories on sports, ocean adventuring and conservation. He is based in Baltimore/Washington and travels the world as a competitive swimmer.

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