Located on the Western Cape of South Africa, False Bay is a biodiversity hotspot with 3,500+ endemic marine species. I had the opportunity to dive here with Pisces Divers! It was fun to be back in a kelp forest after many months of tropical diving.

On my first day out, I joined a group of Reef Life Survey divers, to observe the reef biodiversity surveys conducted by this global reef monitoring non-profit. We had some challenging (very pea-soupy) diving conditions created by storms the previous week. Despite this, it was interesting to observe a survey technique. 

Luckily, conditions improved for the rest of my dives, and I was able to experience the beauty of the kelp forests in the area. 

My favorite things to spot during my dives were nudibranchs, shysharks, shark eggs, and the occasional octopus! 

Another highlight was boat rides to the dive sites, where I saw the famous orca duo, Port and Starboard, who are known for hunting white sharks in the area. We also spotted rafts of African penguins, sea lions, and humpback whales on the surface!  

It was a truly magical experience! Thank you so much to Pisces, and especially Mike Nortje for welcoming and hosting me during my stay in Cape Town!

Thank you to the Our World-Underwater Scholarship Society and our sponsor Rolex for making this scholarship experience possible. I would also like to thank Reef Photo and Video, Nauticam and Light and Motion for my underwater camera setup as well as Aqualung, Fourth Element,  Suunto, Halcyon, and DUI for my diving equipment.