Dec 05 2019
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Borders to Cross @ Sibaya – Sodwana Bay

By Sodwana Bay

https://www.gosodwanabay.co.za Joshua 1:9 New International Version (NIV) 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” For those who are familiar with Sodwana you’ll know that it is not a big town – if you can call it a town what so ever – maybe a quaint little rustic village?!? It’s real secluded and when I do talk to people about Sodwana most people will confuse it with Saldanha bay or they think it is in Mozambique… Yes it is strange… why do people not know about Sodwana – it is such an awesome place. As we recently relocated down to Sodwana Bay just a week ago – basically everything’s new to us. We still not sure if this is real or just a dream but I suppose it will take some time getting used to. We’ve been dreaming and talking about moving down for so long and now we are here – Not that we haven’t been here before – we’ve been coming to Sodwana for a while now and fell deeply in love with the rural rusticness of SODWANA’S BEAUTY. The opportunity came along for us to make the leap of faith – so, we packed our belongings – 7 Chickens – 2 Dogs and a cat – got in our car and took on the road to our new LIFE! If I am honest at all – I would say that this was one of the scariest things I ever done… I am real blessed to have an awesomely beautiful wife which also took this jump with me – she is such a STAR!!! What would I be without her…? So we have fears to overcome and be brave! We also have a YouTube Channel GO SODWANA which we will load our content onto – please subscribe and like as this will help us make this dream even a better one. #sodwana #scuba diving #sibaya #rustic #relocate #gosodwana

May 28 2019
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Activities – Spear Fishing @ Sibaya – Sodwana Bay

By Sodwana Bay

With the Zululand spots such as Cape Vidal and Sodwana Bay having all year round diving conditions and lots of big gamefish action, to wreck diving where large dagga salmon and big ignoblis kingfish, thrilling action is provided for everyone. The world record black marlin was also shot in this area.  Influenced by the warm Agulhas and Mozambique currents which flow southwards down this section of the coast, the waters are home to a rich diversity of fish life.  On any dive spearfishermen can expect to encounter large gamefish along with the many different types of reef fish found here – pelagic fish, black and striped marlin, yellowfin tuna, world record size kawakawa, skipjack tuna, king mackerel, queenfish, kingfish, dorado and wahoo. Kwazulu Natal enjoys a sub-tropical climate with mild winters and hot steamy summers. Summer water temperatures are around 24°C and the use of a 3mm wetsuit is more than adequate. For the winter months May-August you need a 5mm wetsuit with sea temperatures as low as 18°C.  The south coast stretches from Durban southwards to Port Edward, a distance of 160km. With lots of rivers on this section of coast, the rainy months make the inshore conditions mostly undiveable.  The south coast is characterized by short beaches bounded by rocky headlands.  The annual sardine run takes place along this section of coast during winter. Shoals of sardines move up from the south eastern cape coast accompanied by large game fish. This is an exciting time for divers with big game fish and even bigger sharks encountered right on the back line. 

May 23 2019
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Important hand signals for diving @ Sodwana Bay ~ South Africa

By Sodwana Bay

Important hand signals for Scuba Diving @ Sodwana Bay ~ South Africa. ?✋ . . . How do you communicate with other divers during a dive? Most Scuba Dive courses Like PADI and Naui do have these in their training material. You can also follow these links below…   Great read on WIKI    PADI Hand Signal VIDEO’SBelow is also a chart for reference…

May 21 2019
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Activities – Scuba Diving @ Sibaya – Sodwana Bay

By Sodwana Bay

Rated amongst the top 10 dive sites in the world, Sodwana Bay truly is a diver’s dream​…. ​Sodwana Bay boasts some of the most southern coral reefs in the world and as such offers incredible diversity – although it is only a fraction of the size of the Great Barrier Reef, it is estimated to contain more than two thirds of the fish species. This 50 km long reef complex is estimated to be more than 400 years old.​ Whether you are diving or snorkelling there is so much to see -more than 95 species of hard and soft corals, 1200 species of fish, turtles, manta rays and much more. An encounter with one of the oceans big creatures on your drive to the further dive sites is also very likely – frolick with the playful bottlenose dolphins, swim with an incredible whaleshark and observe the mighty humpback whales as they migrate past Sodwana Bay.​ Visibility varies depending on the season and conditions, this can vary anywhere from 5 to 40 meters, with a average of about 12-15 meters. The water temperature in winter generally averages around 22 degrees °C and in summer the temperature can get as high as 28 degrees °C.

May 20 2019
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Isimangiliso Game Park entrance fee and Rhino Card fees @ Sodwana Bay

By Sodwana Bay

Entrance Fees If you enter the park gate you will be charged a daily rate. There is a new day visitor car park just outside the gate – you can now park there and walk into the beach for free.​ The entrance fees were hugely reduced by the new park management on 1 Dec 2018. The current gates fees are as follows: Adults – R23 Child- R19 Vehicle (1-5 seater) – R32 Vehicle (6-12 seater) – R47 The park fee is waived with a RHINO card but you still have to pay the R5 levy per person. ​ Your basic Rhino Card costs you R250 per person (under 60 yrs of age) or R230 per person (over 60 yrs of age) for a year’s membership. There is no juvenile rate. Eg. In order to receive the benefits, two people will pay R 500 ie. you will be buying two memberships @R250 each = R500 and ONLY THOSE 2 PEOPLE enter for free. However, as long as ONE of the cardholders is present, any second person can enter with you for free because you have paid for two memberships. Rhino Club Your Rhino Card will have your ID and name on it, plus your partner’s ID, plus the number of memberships you have paid for eg. No. 1 will be printed onto the card where there is only 1 membership purchased; eg. No. 2 will be printed on the Couple card; eg. No. 4 on a Family Card where 4 memberships have been purchased, etc Park campsite – please confirm the current fees with the operator at the establishment where you will be staying

May 20 2019
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YouTube Video: Monty Halls, Curse of the Blue Hole @ Sodwana Bay

By Sodwana Bay

Check out this interesting International Scuba Diving Documentary! This is a documentary about the supposed “Curse of the Blue Hole”! A superstition dating back centuries about a princess committing suicide to escape an arranged marriage, that now lures divers to their death! In this video the crew dives down the Blue Hole to investigate what truly happens to divers who have died diving down this truly remarkable, but dangerous tourist attraction!