News
Diving at Sodwana Bay
Pillaging of coral reefs by impoverished local communities dependent on marine resources is common world-wide.
Sodwana Bay has been inside a National Park for 80 years, so the local Zulu community has only recently been given free access to the protected marine environment. Consequently, the marine resources never became part of the traditional tribal diet.The Sodwana Bay reefs remain pristine and the crayfish live to a ripe old age, while giant cowries flourish untouched, and hermit crabs grow to monstrous size using gigantic discarded conch shells.
Greg de Valle, the charismatic, controversial owner and manager of the Sodwana Bay Lodge Scuba Centre was the first to introduce the local community to the protected undersea world, and his dive operation is an iconic example of co-operation and training between the local people and the 4 x 4 owning diving community. Initially employed as a dive master by Blue Print Diving in the 90’s, Greg decided to make diving his career and life’s work. He travelled the world to various dive operations, and acquired an understanding of how the International diving operations were managed.
From 1997 Greg took over management of the dive shop at Sodwana Bay Lodge. Competition was fierce, and at one time there were 65 dive boats launching from Sodwana Bay. Dive masters were unknown. If you were prepared to tow a buoy line so that the boat could follow you, you could dive for free. New reefs were discovered.
Managing a dive operation that catered for both local and international diving visitors became Greg’s job, and he had problems keeping Dive Masters. Most Dive Staff from the cities stayed for a few years, and then just as they were becoming really world class they would leave Sodwana and travel to exotic destinations taking their training with them. Having bought the diving operation, Greg was growing more and more frustrated until one day he realised that the solution lay with the beach assistants.
These were youngsters from the local Mbila tribal group who had found short term employment on the beach washing visitors’ dive gear, carrying their equipment to and from the dive boats and generally looking after their customers. Greg realised that these guys were humble, were learning English, and understood the demands of their customers. So he started training a group of local youngsters to become dive guides, skippers and dive masters.
20 years on, Sodwana Scuba Centre offers the best service I have ever experienced in a dive operation, and that includes Bali and Mauritius whose service levels are definitive. Ben my DM takes care of my gear, and I get a dry wet-suit every morning. Prince, the skipper on my boat, makes sure my gear is loaded where I like to sit on the boat. These 2 guys are humble in their excellence. They are aware of their customer’s every need, and they make diving with them an absolute pleasure.
Greg has done a little more than just own and manage Sodwana Scuba Centre. He has invested training and no small amount of money in the local community. He has built his house here, and his children go to school here.
To own land at Sodwana Bay is not possible, as it is within the land area controlled by the Ingonyama Trust, who issue leases to approved residents. To live here, you have to become a member of the local tribal community, and Greg has done just that. He is an honorary Zulu.
[hr style=”single”]
Words: Jill Holloway
Pics: Stephen Stamp
Copyright: Crafters Lodge
Free Octopus with every purchase of a SCUBAPRO regulator system
Just in time for the spring season, divers can save money with the FREE OCTOPUS SPRING PROMOTION! Until July 31st SCUBAPRO offers an Octopus for free
with every purchase of a regulator system!
Get a free S270 OCTOPUS with purchase of these combinations:
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with A700
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with S620Ti
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with D420
MK25 EVO Din mit S620Ti-X
Get a free R105 OCTOPUS with purchase of the following combinations:
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with G260
MK25 EVO or MK17 EVO with S600
SCUBAPRO offers a 30-year first owner warranty on all regulators, with a revision period of two years or 100 dives. All SCUBAPRO regulators are of course certified according to the new European test standard EN250-2014.
Available at participating SCUBAPRO dealers. Promotion may not be available in all regions. Find an authorized SCUBAPRO Dealer at scubapro.com.
More information available on www.scubapro.com.
Jake Davies boards Ghazala Explorer for an unforgettable Red Sea diving experience…
Overnight, the wind picked up, making the planned morning dive a bit bumpy on the Zodiacs to the drop point on Thomas Reef. There, we would dive along the reef before descending through the canyon and then passing under the arch before ascending the wall with a gentle drift. The site provided great encounters with more pelagic species, including shoals of large barracuda, tuna, and bigeye trevally.
Once back on the boat, it was time to get everything tied down again as we would head back south. This time, with the wind behind us, heading to Ras Mohammed to dive Jackfish Alley for another great gentle drift wall dive before then heading up the coast towards the Gulf of Suez to moor up at the wreck of the Thistlegorm. This being the highlight wreck dive of the trip and for many onboard, including myself, it was the first time diving this iconic wreck. I had heard so much about the wreck from friends, and globally, this is a must on any diver’s list. Fortunately for us, there was only one other boat at the site, which was a rarity. A great briefing was delivered by Ahmed, who provided a detailed background about the wreck’s history along with all the required safety information as the currents and visibility at the site can be variable.
Kitting up, there was a lot of excitement on deck before entering the water and heading down the shoreline. Descending to the wreck, there was a light northerly current which reduced the visibility, making it feel more like the conditions that can be found off the Welsh coast. At 10m from the bottom, the outline of the wreck appeared as we reached the area of the wreck which had been bombed, as our mooring line was attached to part of the propeller shaft. Arriving on deck, instantly everywhere you looked there were many of the supplies which the ship was carrying, including Bren Carrier tanks and projectiles that instantly stood out.
We headed around the exterior, taking a look at the large propeller and guns mounted on deck before entering the wreck on the port side to take a look in the holds. It was incredible to see all the trucks, Norton 16H, and BSA motorcycles still perfectly stacked within, providing a real snapshot in time.
Overall, we had four dives on the Thistlegorm, where for all of the dives we were the only group in the water, and at times, there were just three of us on the whole wreck, which made it even more special, especially knowing that most days the wreck has hundreds of divers. Along with the history of the wreck, there was plenty of marine life on the wreck and around, from big green turtles to batfish, along with shoals of mackerel being hunted by trevally. Some unforgettable dives.
The final leg of the trip saw us cross back over the Suez Canal to the Gobal Islands where we planned to stay the night and do three dives at the Dolphin House for the potential of sharing the dive with dolphins. The site, which included a channel that was teeming with reef fish, especially large numbers of goatfish that swam in large shoals along the edge of the reef. These were nice relaxing dives to end the week. Unfortunately, the dolphins didn’t show up, which was okay as like all marine life they are difficult to predict and you can’t guarantee what’s going to be seen. With the last dive complete, we headed back to port for the final night where it was time to clean all the kit and pack before the departure flight the next day.
The whole week from start to finish on Ghazala Explorer was amazing; the boat had all the facilities you need for a comfortable week aboard. The crew were always there to help throughout the day and the chefs providing top quality food which was required after every dive. The itinerary providing some of the best diving with a nice mixture of wreck and reef dives. I would recommend the trip to anyone, whether it’s your first Red Sea liveaboard in the Red Sea or you’re revisiting. Hopefully, it’s not too long before I head back to explore more of the Red Sea onboard Ghazala Explorer.
To find out more about the Northern Red Sea reef and wrecks itineraries aboard Ghazala Explorer, or to book, contact Scuba Travel now:
Email: dive@scubatravel.com
Tel: +44 (0)1483 411590
Photos: Jake Davies / Avalon.Red
-
News3 months agoHone your underwater photography skills with Alphamarine Photography at Red Sea Diving Safari in March
-
News3 months agoCapturing Critters in Lembeh Underwater Photography Workshop 2024: Event Roundup
-
Marine Life & Conservation Blogs2 months agoCreature Feature: Swell Sharks
-
Blogs2 months agoMurex Resorts: Passport to Paradise!
-
Blogs2 months agoDiver Discovering Whale Skeletons Beneath Ice Judged World’s Best Underwater Photograph
-
Gear Reviews3 months agoGear Review: Oceanic+ Dive Housing for iPhone
-
Marine Life & Conservation2 months agoSave the Manatee Club launches brand new webcams at Silver Springs State Park, Florida
-
News3 months agoWorld’s Best Underwater Photographers Unveil Breathtaking Images at World Shootout 2023