South ’s

Gordon’sText and photos by Kate Jonker Bay Vibrant Diving & Diversity Aerial photography by Derick Burger 39 X-RAY MAG : 81 : 2017 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS WRECKS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY TECH EDUCATION PROFILES PHOTO & VIDEO PORTFOLIO travel Gordon’s Bay

DERICK BURGER

Aerial view of the village of Gordon’s Bay, located on , just a 50-minute drive from PREVIOUS PAGE: Beautiful pink noble coral and elegant feather star at Noble

Gordon’s Bay is a sleepy seaside vil- Most of the dive sites run parallel to the rugged lage in , nestled in the coastline that stretches along the eastern coast of False Bay. The many dive sites offer something northeastern corner of False Bay, for every diver—from shallow reefs and kelp where the majestic Hottentots Holland forests to deeper, craggy reefs with incredible mountain range dips its toes into the topography. ocean. A quick 50-minute drive from Fed by nutrient-rich waters, the marine life flourishes in Gordon’s Bay and dive sites are Cape Town, Gordon’s Bay is surround- densely covered with colourful soft corals in ed by mountains and natural veg- pinks, oranges, greens and purples. Sinuous, etation and the vibrant beauty of the palmate and whip fans sway gently in the ever- countryside is mirrored beneath the changing , and yellow, pink, purple and orange sponges adorn the rocks. Vibrant starfish, waves. anemones, feather stars and sea urchins add to the riot of colours, and beautiful pink and orange Whip fan nudibranch on sea fan at Pinnacle Klipfish on reef at Steenbras Deep

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noble corals can be found sevengill cow and spot- Explore Gordon’s Bay proudly standing guard on ted gully sharks, Cape clawless Cape Town’s Hidden Gem the deeper reefs. otters, dolphins, Bryde’s whales This base of vibrant life and many playful Cape fur provides a safe and thriv- seals, which often follow divers ing for the multitude around underwater. of vertebrates and inverte- Gordon’s Bay is the only brates that inhabit the reef. town in South Africa that sports From colourful nudibranchs two working harbours—the in all shapes and sizes, to quaint and rustic old harbour, crazily decorated spider which is home to South Africa’s seals and whales along the way, mak- , hard-to-spot cuttlefish Naval Officer Training College and the ing the ride out to the dive sites almost and octopus with their ever- Gordon’s Bay NSRI; and the newer har- as exciting as the dive itself. changing textures and col- bour at Harbour Island, where the dive ours to small and boats launch from. Most dive sites are Diving conditions reef fish—there is so much to situated between 10 and 40 minutes Cape Town diving is very seasonal and CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE: Red-spotted dorid see. Gordon’s Bay is a haven for mac- from Harbour Island. As most of the where you dive will depend on what Dive Charters, Guided Dives, Gear Rental grazes on pink encrusting sponge at Stone ro photographers, and the variety and reefs are close to shore, the scenery of time of year you visit. Sea conditions Scuba & Photography Courses Dog; curls a tentacle at number of nudibranchs on any one the mountains and rugged coastline to are affected by the prevailing winds. Steenbras River Mouth; Speckled klipfish on dive is astounding. Larger visitors to the and from the dive sites is breath-taking. The south-easterly wind blows from www.indigoscuba.com [email protected] palmate sea fan at Steenbras River Mouth; reefs include huge short-tail stingrays, Divers will often encounter dolphins, October to May, clearing the water Shy doublesash butterflyfish at Pinnacle

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Two-eyed blenny hides in a crack at Stone Dog

along the Gordon’s Bay side of False Bay, bringing great diving conditions. From June to September, the north-westerly winds blow and diving in Gordon’s Bay is not usually possible as conditions are too rough and the visibility drops. The best time to visit Gordon’s Bay is therefore from October to May. Water in Gordon’s Bay can change daily and is affected by the and the water com- ing into False Bay. usually range be- tween 15°C and 19°C in summer, with the odd drop to 13°C. Divers are advised to wear either a 5mm and hooded chicken vest or a 7mm wetsuit with a hoodie. Many local divers also dive with semi-dry or drysuits. Gloves, a hoodie and booties are also a must in order to stay warm. The diving is done from eight-metre-long rubber ducks, known as RIBs or zodiacs in other parts of the Baby’s toes cowrie on reef at Steenbras River Mouth

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Divers ready to start their dive at Blousteen (above); Diver explores the reef at Steenbras Deep (top right); leaves Harbour Island in Gordon’s Bay (right)

world. The standard procedure is for divers to the reefs in this area since the put their gear together on land and load it 1990s. They have an immense onto the boat, where the skipper will secure knowledge of the reefs, many it to dive racks. Divers then don and of which they have discovered booties, and climb on board. Once at the over the years. Visiting divers dive site, the divers kit up for the dive, usu- are also able to rent any dive ally with the assistance of a dive guide or the gear they might need from In- mandarin sh skipper. When everyone is ready to enter the digo Scuba, and as the owners water, the skipper will slowly count, “One, are accomplished underwater two, three, go!” And the divers all roll back- photographers themselves, wards into the water at the same time on the underwater photographers are word “go”. well looked after. Divers can usually choose to dive with a dive guide or in buddy pairs, exploring the Dive sites reefs at their own pace. This is an ideal ar- As there is only one dive cen- rangement for photographers who can take tre in Gordon’s Bay, the dive their time instead of rushing to keep up with sites are pristine and well the dive guide. At the end of the dive, di- preserved, giving divers an op- vers deploy their and portunity to experience unspoilt Cape Town giving this beautiful dive site its name. the dive boat will come to pick them up. It is diving at its very best. On the cow and calf pinnacles, you will therefore important that all divers have their find palmate and flagellar sea fans, soft cor- own deployable surface marker buoy with Cow and Calf. From the road that winds its als, feather stars and urchins. Living amongst them on every dive. way along the rugged coastline, the two them is a multitude of nudibranchs, including E-Mail: [email protected] Indigo Scuba is the only dive centre in Gor- large rock outcrops of this dive site can be soft coral, black, gasflame and fiery nudi- don’s Bay. All their skippers, dive guides and seen breaking the water close to shore. They branchs and Cape dorids. Fish life includes www.ganggaisland.com instructors have been diving and exploring look just like a mother whale and her calf, rock suckers, klipfish of all shapes and sizes, Huge basket star at Drop Zone

43 X-RAY MAG : 81 : 2017 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS WRECKS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY TECH EDUCATION PROFILES PHOTO & VIDEO PORTFOLIO Mike Ball Dive travel EXPEDITIONS • CORAL SEA • • Expeditions On the Wild Side

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Astute octopus at Steenbras River Mouth; Puffadder shy- shark at Stone Dog (above); Rare protea dorid at Cow and Calf (right); Fiery nudibranch at Pinnacle (lower left) Minke Whale Season! June-July Unique Opportunity on the Great Barrier Reef. Stone Dog. Fantastic for macro doublesash butterflyfish with their unmistak- www.mikeball.com/minke photographers, this is home to able yellow and brown bands can also be the rare protea dorid and one seen flitting around the outer edges of the of the very few places that this reef. elusive little nudibranch can be New Special Expeditions! spotted. Small Chinese klipfish Noble Reef. The deepest dive site close to Check out our website for details. and blennies hide amongst the shore, Noble Reef is named after the vibrant cracks and little puffadder shy- pink and orange noble coral that grows on sharks can be seen patrolling the the deeper ridges here. This is the only true reef for food. hard coral to be found in Cape waters. Starting at a depth of 15m and dropping Pinnacle. Highlights of this to depths of 24m on the sand, this colour- dive site include the many sea ful reef comprises steep-sided pinnacles fans covered with whip fan and sloping ridges lush with marine life. Both nudibranchs and spider crabs. orange and blue gasflame nudibranchs and ocean. Venturing away from the river © Huge orange wall sponges host can be found here and beautiful basket mouth, the underwater topography chang- giraffe-spot nudibranchs and stars are often seen with their arms unfurled es to steep-sided ridges that run parallel to provide hiding places for juvenile as they catch morsels of food that drift by in shore, with canyons and sandy stretches in fish. the ebb of the ocean. between. The boulders farther away Huge overhangs provide a safe haven for Cape triplefins and . from shore are a grazing ground for red Steenbras River Mouth. This fascinating dive sleeping pyjama sharks, larger reef fish and Playful young Cape fur seals are often spotted dorid, Cape dorid and beautiful site is located where the Steenbras River short-tail stingrays. Well-camouflaged rock Phone: +61 7 4053 0500 found here and love to follow divers as they purple and yellow inkspot nudibranchs. meets the ocean. Close to the mouth of the suckers and octopus hide in plain sight on www.mikeball.com explore the reef. Longsnout pipefish can be found wafting river, the sea floor is a bed of round boul- the reef, waiting to be spotted by eagle- Email: [email protected] Fax: +61 7 4031 5470 in and out of the sinuous sea fans and shy ders which have been shaped by time, river eyed divers. Visit: 3 Abbott Street, Cairns. Queensland 4870 Australia

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Jewel anemones at Steenbras Deep and common dolphins on the way to Blousteen

Blousteen. Located 40 minutes away described as majestic, with ragged, from Harbour Island, towering cliffs steep sided pinnacles starting at 15m and lush mountains provide a majestic and plunging to 32m on the sand. backdrop. Playful seals and dolphins The pinnacles are carpeted in yellow, also supply endless entertainment en orange and brown feather stars, deli- route to this vibrant dive site. cate strawberry anemones, pink and Starting at 7m and reaching 20m orange noble coral, massive orange farther from the shore, this is a won- wall sponges, huge forests of sinuous derful kelp forest dive. Blousteen is and palmate sea fans and weirdly home to a variety of unusual nudi- shaped grey sponges that resemble branchs such as Catriona casha, elephants’ ears. many fish as well as shysharks, spotted Large schools of silver fish swarm gully sharks, and sevengill cow sharks. around the tops of the pinnacles, Huge short-tail stingrays can be seen comical horned blennies grin out from resting amongst the kelp and seals of- cracks in the reef, huge bull klipfish ten pop down to visit the divers here. stare superciliously at divers and cute little klipfish peer expectantly up at Steenbras Deep. The topography of photographers. Nudibranch life is the Steenbras Deep reefs can only be outstanding, with swarms of frilled Well-camouflaged cuttlefish at Steenbras Deep Tubular hydroid, flower of the ocean, at Blousteen

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CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Sea fan at Steenbras Deep; Reef at Ceningan Resort Steenbras Deep; Silvertip nudibranch on yellow sponge at Drop Zone; Cuttlefish in defence position at Drop Zone

nudibranchs that congregate have been dropped to breed and eat on the multi- here (hence the coloured sea fans. Tiny candy, name “Drop Zone”). white-edged and purple lady Due to its distance nudibranchs are found atop from shore, the the pinnacles and orange and marine life is very dif- Daily Dive Trips blue gasflames the size of din- ferent here. Game PADI Dive Courses ner plates can be seen chomp- fish such as yel- Water Sports: Kayaking, ing their way across the reefs. lowtail amberjack and Cape salmon , and SUP Drop Zone. Drop Zone is quite can be seen swim- Traditional Bungalows a distance from Harbour Island ming by and eagle and, like Steenbras Deep, can rays, leopard and The Jetty Bar really only be dived in calm pyjama catsharks Mangrove Restaurant conditions due to the relatively are often encoun- Ceningan Yoga Shala long boat ride. This is a huge, tered by divers. The dome-shaped reef that starts smaller marine life Ceningan Resort at 15m and gradually deepens is also incredibly diverse and dorids, ghost nudibranchs and Nusa Ceningan, Bali to 25m and more. The reef is includes sea spiders and in- Mandela’s nudibranchs. Cut- Travel off the beaten path, the way Bali was 30 years ago! covered with craters, giving an teresting nudibranchs such as tlefish and octopus are plentiful impression that bombs could uniquely patterned variable as are the beautiful basket stars CeninganDivers.com e. [email protected] t. +62 82145855934

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that make their home on the reef’s many sinuous sea fans. Good to know Gordon’s Bay is Cape Town’s hidden treasure. With its richly diverse, colourful marine life and incredible underwater topography, Gordon’s Bay diving is very different to that offered along the western side of False Bay. It is a must-visit for underwater photogra- phers, particularly macro photographers who enjoy critter hunting. Being easily accessible and within close proximity to Cape Town, Gordon’s Bay should be on the itinerary of all divers visiting Cape Town.

Getting there. Gordon’s Bay is a short 50-minute drive from the centre of Cape Town, straight down CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Bryde’s whale the main highway, the . comes to inspect the dive boat at Drop Zone; Inkspot nudibranch at Cow and Calf; Basket star Accommodation. Lodging in Gordon’s Bay is plenti- reaches its arm out to catch prey as it floats by; A Cape clawless otter visits the dive boat Hotlips spider on a palmate sea fan

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CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Sevengill cow shark at Blousteen; Gasflame nudi- branch at Noble Reef; Nearby Waterkloof winery has beauti- ful views overlooking Gordon’s Bay; Divers enjoy the breath- taking scenery on the ride back from Blousteen; Root mouth jellyfish at Stone Dog COURTESY OF WATERKLOOF WINE ESTATE COURTESY OF WATERKLOOF vegan, vegetarian and everything and sunset cruises. breath-taking views over False Kate Jonker is an underwater water photography, is an SSI Dive in between. There are a number of Those wishing to get away from Bay and the Cape winelands. photographer and writer based in Control Specialist and dive boat restaurants at both harbours where the beach can explore the many Visitors who enjoy shopping can South Africa. A proud member of skipper, and leads dive trips across guests can sit outside, enjoy beau- local nature reserves, visit Monkey spend time browsing the “touristy” the British Society of Underwater the globe. For more information, tiful ocean views and watch the Town or the Cheetah Outreach. shops along the Gordon’s Bay Photographers, she please visit: KateJonker.com. world go by. Many of the restau- With the Stellenbosch wine route beach front and those looking teaches under- rants are family friendly and there a mere 20 minutes away, wine en- for some proper retail thera- NASA is a local Spur on the Gordon’s thusiasts will be spoilt for choice. py can pop into Somerset Bay beach front that has a special Most of the wineries have their Mall, a short 15-minute games area for children. own restaurants, many of which drive from Gordon’s Bay. BOTSWANA MOZ. offer world-class cuisine and  Topside activities. Gordon’s Bay is easily accessible and centrally located for visits to the magnifi- cent Cape Winelands, surround- ing sparkling white beaches and SWAZ. the beautiful nature reserves and hiking trails close by. NAMIBIA There are many activities to SOUTH AFRICA keep non-divers and families en- tertained. The sandy main beach ful and there is something to suit in Gordon’s Bay is very shallow LESOTHO every budget. It is advisable to and wave-free, providing safe book accommodation in ad- swimming and paddling for small vance as Gordon’s Bay is a popu- children. The neighbouring sea- lar holiday destination during the side village of Strand is 10 minutes INDIAN months of October to May. away and has a beautiful long, OCEAN sandy beach with great waves OCEAN Eating out. The many restaurants in for surfers of all levels. Other water ATLANTIC CAPE TOWN Gordon’s Bay offer a wide vari- sports on offer in Gordon’s Bay  Gordon’s Bay ety of cuisine—from pizzas, pasta, include kayaking and standup False Bay

steaks, burgers, seafood, sushi, paddleboarding, ocean safaris HTONL / NORDNORDWEST / WIKIMEDIA COMMONS / CC BY-SA 3.0 Location of False Bay, and the village of Gordon’s Bay, on map of South Africa

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