Diving with Seals
Masters at Play
The round, sweet eyes of a seal don’t only make these acrobatic mammals one of the cutest creatures in the sea but have a highly functional purpose as well. Seals have excellent underwater vision, especially in dark and murky waters. Being deep divers, sometimes reaching depths of up to 100 meters, having this increased ability to see in low light conditions is not only beneficial, but necessary to survive. Their bodies have also adapted to allow for these deeper, longer dives better than other marine mammals. Seal’s blood contains special properties allowing them to absorb more oxygen than other marine mammals, therefore allowing them to do these deep, long dives with ease.
Seals live and sleep both on land and in the water. Their whiskers play an essential role in helping them search for food. A seals’ whiskers can feel the slightest movement underwater and locate their prey’s size and distance up to 100 meters away! Being good acrobats and very playful underwater makes diving with seals a lot of fun. Click here to find the best places in the world to dive with these fun, curious animals.
Dive sites with this animal Show more on map
★★★★☆ Hohe Düne
The dive site is located directly at a floating dive center in the area of the harbour. The maximum depth is 5m and varies depending on the water level. There are various underwater objects to explore: telephone booth, desk, Christmas tree, big anchor, training platform etc.
★★★★☆ Carters Rock
Carters Rock is only accessible by boat and is a shallow, rocky kelp reef with a maximum depth of 10m. Kelp runs along the bouldery slope to about 7m where it then turns into a white sandy bottom. Another good site for entry-level diver training.
★★★★☆ The Gazzle
The Gazzle lies within the Newquay Bay & Gannel Marine Conservation Zone. It is shallow shore dive, max depth - 10m on a high tide. Gradually deepening sandy slope with kelpy reef and an abundance of marine life. Gazzle (North) - Kelp/rocky reef, caverns. Gazzle (South) - Kelp/rocky reef, caverns, old slipway.
★★★★☆ Lundy Island
The main diving area of Lundy Island is a protected marine nature reserve. The island lies at the mouth of the Bristol Channel and is washed by the Gulf Stream, providing a haven for some of the richest marine life to be found outside the tropics.
★★★★☆ Ark Rock
Named for the large rock of the same name on the SAN charts. 550m north of Penguin Point. This is the biggest rock close offshore in Simon’s Town area, and it is unmistakable as a landmark.
★★★★★ Scorpio House Reef
Perfect dive site for beginners, diving and snorkeling. The dive site in front of the center has an easy entrance accessible to all starting from 2m to 12-14m with a small wreck on the right side of the tip.