South Africa

South Africa holds two separate oceans in a single country, and the two are nothing alike. In the west the Atlantic is cold — around Cape Town the water runs between 12 and 18 degrees, and the giant kelp forests and cool-water species are the product of that cold; a thick wetsuit or a drysuit is needed. In the east, on the KwaZulu-Natal coast, the Indian Ocean is warm: 21-26 degrees, tropical reef life and a high density of sharks.

The season works differently for these two faces. On the east coast ragged-tooth sharks gather around Aliwal Shoal and Protea Banks between July and November; the sardine run moves north along the coast in June and July and, together with the dolphins, sharks and flocks of birds that follow it, produces one of the ocean's greatest spectacles. On the western side the summer months (November to March) offer clearer water.

The country's non-diving side carries at least as much weight as what is underwater: safari parks, the Garden Route, Cape Town and the wine region all belong to the same route. Our programme in this region is built around diving and culture together and spreads over nine days.