The Protea Banks is a reef system that lies 7 km offshore south some 70 km south of the Aliwal Shoal between the the towns of Port Shepstone and Margate.  Its pinnacle lies at a depth of 27m and attracts a wide assortment of marine life.  Colorful Indian Ocean reef fish mingle with Southern Ocean cold water fish.  Here as elsewhere in South Africa, the reef is reached using semi- riged inflatable boats that are launched through the surf. The skillful skippers having to find gaps in the waves that roll in from the deep ocean.

What really puts Protea on the diving map though is the certainty of encountering SHARKS all year round. Shoals of Hammerheads are regularly seen and the spotted Ragged Tooth shark visits the reef in the winter and spring (June to November) as part of their breeding cycle. The fierce looking and notorious Zambezi or Bullshark as it is known else where is also a resident on this reef and often circle divers in the periphery. Shoals of Kingmackerel, Kingfish and other game fish are also found in abundance on the reef and it is not unusual to be totally surrounded/ engulfed by these.

As with all dives on the Kwa Zulu Natal coast this is a drift dive where the dive leader tows a marker buoy which is followed by the skipper in the inflatable. Divers in the group stays in contact with the dive leader.

The reason for this of course is the currents that are encountered in these waters. This aids to the pleasure though because a larger area can be covered in a single dive drifting on the gentle current.

Protea is not for the faint hearted and divers must be qualified to dive 30m.