Simon's Town...diving in cold water, and the Cape of Good Hope!

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I may have been few time to Cape Town, I never made my way just an hour South to the little town of Simon's Town. The South African diving community is a pretty tight one, specially when it comes to dive center dealing mainly with the local keen divers. So while in Shelly Beach few months ago, I gather few infos about where to dive with teenagers around Cape Town. Well, this is the place, Cape Town, for 2 pretty special dives, the seal one as well as the Seven Gill one. The people to dive with, are Pisces...can only recommend them for everything...from friendly to efficient...will be diving again with them in the future!



You first need to be ready for some cold water....this is the middle of the winter, and water is just 13 degrees. The good news, is that cold water often leads to better visibility, and we were lucky, with a good 15 meters visibility. The kids have gone in the cage with 14 degrees, so I knew they could deal with it. We are gone for two dives, with two wetsuits each, a full 5mm and another 5mm shorty....just to keep us kindly not that cold. The hoody was also a welcome must. Everybody beside me was diving with gloves. I love to keep my hands bare just to use my little underwater camera. But I can tell you, two dives of 45 minutes at 13 degrees...that's cold!



Our first dive was a kelp forest. I did dive my first kelp forest back at Poor Knights in New Zealand. You basically dive a forest of algae, and play hide and seek in it...truly fun! The plan was to see the Seven Gills shark, around 2 meters long and one of the older kind of sharks...but no chance today, no Seven Gills. I will have to come back diving here just for it. We saw pajama sharks and shy sharks that I never saw before plus few cool nudibranches! Truly fun dive! Our next dive was the seal dive...a first for the kids, but I had the chance to do it in the Galapagos few years ago.



These are actually not seals, but rather sea lions...you know, that story with the ears, but who cares, it's just fun! We stop the boat next to a rock packed with seals...and once in the water, they come by groups or singles to play with us. Most of the dive is spent in the same spot at 9 meters depth, just waiting for the curious seals to come to play. This dive is nothing else than a big game with fun kids...curious, super fast but not furious kids...ah those seals...kids loved it, big time!



We were done with diving by 2pm. Did a fast stop for some take away food, and we were on for the African penguins of Simon's Town. This is another must see that I never did. Saw so many of my friends posting these on facebook, and still, it is a first. This is not Antarctica, but trust me, still seriously fun! Next, we drove all the way to the Cape of Good Hope, just South of Simon's Town. We had to pay over 20usd just to go in the National Park for three of us. I have the feeling that this is the first rip-off I meet in South Africa for a long while! So we drive in, saw few ostriches, stopped for the few pictures, saw many Chinese tourists, and next we were out, because at 6pm here, it's pitch dark in the winter!



For 2 nights, we slept in the Backpackers of Simon's Town. The place was slightly soulless, but we had a very nice and clean room, and yes, pretty cheap too. I would have wish we had good weather to drive the Chapeman's Peak road, but that will be for next time!



So we didn't see lions in Addo, neither Seven Gills sharks here....so there is always a come back, for some more...



Next entry, you guess it, before Cape Town, it's time for some serious wine! Coming soon!



We are already back since today in Bangkok...the kids are flying tomorrow to Vietnam, for a month of computer time , I know, not the greatest idea but this is like this...and for me, I guess I will write my next blog, from...somewhere away from Bangkok!

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Comments

[GRACIELA]

ON MY LIST
Lovely city; my son would love to go there.

[D MJ Binkley]

Fantastic
marvelous