Aliwal Shoal is recognized as one of the top 10 dive sites in the world. Umkomaas, which is situated approximately 45km's south of Durban, provides the launch site for Aliwal Shoal.

 

Approximately 5km's in length, Aliwal Shoal provides a haven to a vast array of fish species (over 1200 species) as well as turtles, rays and frequently visited by dolphins, whales and, most popular, sharks (in particular ragged-toothed sharks or Grey nurse sharks). These sharks migrate to the shoal in abundance from July to November. Occasional sightings of great whites, tiger sharks and whale sharks occur here too.

Aliwal Shoal has many different dive sites and some of the most popular are:
Raggie Cave is named after the many ragged-tooth sharks that reside in this area. Depth is approximately 16m.

Cathedral is situated on the outside edge of the reef and is a spectacular hole in the reef forming a 'room'. Depth varies from 18m - 27m.

Inside Edge consists of a number of ledges with caves, coves and overhangs. It is a great area for viewing smaller fish. Depth is approximately 22m.

Northern Pinnacles is responsible for many of the shipping disasters that have occurred here and it forms the spine of rock formations with several caves, gullies and ledges. Average depth is 10 - 15m.

There are 2 wrecks in this area, namely: SS Nebo & MV Produce. The MV Produce is the most popular and lies less than 1km to the northwest of Aliwal Shoal.