Difference between revisions of "Diving the Cape Peninsula and False Bay/Miller’s Point"

Revision as of 20:40, 11 October 2009

The dive sites Miller's Point and Rumbly Bay are shoreline rocky reef areas in the Miller's Point area on the False Bay coast of the Cape Peninsula, near Cape Town in the Western Cape province of South Africa.

Get in

Miller’s Point from the air: (Photo CDS&M)

The public slipway is to the north, at the top left of the photo, and has a small breakwater and jetty. Boat and trailer parking to the west, cars to the east. The tidal pool and lagoon can be seen in the centre of the photo. Rumbly Bay is to the lower left of the photograph.

Access

Usually a shore dive.

There is a small beach and a small protected inlet at the tip of the point at S34°13.934’ E018°28.577’. Access to open water is through gaps between the big boulders around it, which may be a strenuous swim in rough conditions. There are extensive kelp beds beyond the enclosure.

This small beach is on the South side of Miller’s Point, facing Rumbly Bay, and with Castle Rocks in the background. This can be used as access to the kelp beds shown here and to the rocks off the point.

Position

S34°13.822’ E018°28.411’ (Slipway)

Understand

Topography

Fairly shallow rocky reef with granite corestone outcrops and boulders. some smallish swim-throughs and quite a few overhangs and holes under boulders.

Geology: Late Pre-Cambrian granite of the Peninsula pluton. There are examples of contact between coarse porphyritic granite and medium to fine grained aplogranite.

Conditions

The slipway is well protected and usable in any conditions where diving would be possible.

Diving round the point is best on an offshore wind or calm. Avoid south easterly winds.

Facilities

Large paved off-road parking areas open to the public. S34°13.920’ E018°28.441’. Parking fees may be charged on an apparently random schedule. Ensure that you get a receipt from the gate attendant. Public toilets are at the turning bay above the slipway behind a fence, but can be accessed via a gap at the end of the fence nearest the sea.

See

Marine life

Dense kelp forests surround the point wherever there is a rocky substrate. There is a reasonable variety of invertebrates, but mostly those which flourish in relatively shallow water.

Photography

Suggested Routes

You can dive almost anywhere around the point, but be aware that there is a lot of boat traffic and keep clear of the affected areas.

1. Entry at little sandy inlet at end of Miller's point south of the tidal pool. Swim out through the kelp forest in a gap between boulders to the east. Dive and swim out along the bottom to south of the big rocks beyond the end of the point, then come back on the reciprocal route.
2. Entry in the sandy inlet, swim out through the gaps to the North, and dive around the edge of rocks and sand
3. Entry at the Rumbly Bay slipway, Dive among the inshore rocks to the right of the slip and in front of the clubhouse. This area has a lot of seaweeds.

Stay safe

Hazards

Boat traffic to the north and east of the point may be heavy. Great White sharks have been seen in this area and there is a recorded case of an attack on a spear-fisherman.

Skills

No special skills required. The protected cove at the end of the point is suitable for training entry level divers, but is seldom used for this purpose because of the long walk to get there from the parking lot. The area is suitable for night dives and for snorkelling.

Equipment

No special equipment recommended.

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