Diving the Cape Peninsula and False Bay/Omega Reef

The dive site Omega Reef is an offshore rocky reef in the Rocklands Point area on the Cape Peninsula, near Cape Town in the Western Cape province of South Africa.

Diving the Cape Peninsula and False Bay/Omega Reef Halal Travel Guide

Omega Reef Map - Map of the dive site at Omega Reef

Position

• S34°12.855' E018°28.435' Northwest pinnacle GPS -34.21425,18.473917
• S34°12.887' E018°28.475' Central pinnacle GPS -34.214783,18.474583

This site is in a Marine Protected Area (2004). A permit is required.

Name

The name "Omega Reef" was given because it is directly offshore from Diving the Cape Peninsula and False Bay/Alpha Reef|Alpha Reef

Depth

Maximum depth is about 28 m on the sand to the east, and the top of the reef is about 15 m. Average depth of a dive is likely to be about 20 m.

Visibility

Visibility will be similar to the other reefs in the area. On a good day this may be as much as 15 to 20 m, more commonly between 4 and 10 m. Due to the depth it can be quite dark on the reef.

Topography

The reef is an outcrop of granite, with the long axis roughly north-west to south-east. It has some areas of high and some areas of low profile. The north-west pinnacle is the shallowest part of the reef, and has the most spectacular topography. The pinnacle is a combination of a large, steep outcrop split by several narrow gullies, and some huge boulders, so there are some overhangs and a swim-through. The adjacent reef to the south is relatively low profile, with scattered small boulders along the sand edge, but the reef drops steeply along most of the eastern side, with a few sand tongues extending up the bigger gullies. There is a second, slightly deeper shallow area about halfway along the reef toward the south-east, which rises to about 15 m,with a large area above 18 m. The southern part is structurally simple, without much in the way of crevices and undercuts, though it is quite steep in places, and the northern part is more extensively broken up by cracks and gullies. This area has not yet been fully mapped.

Geology: Pre-Cambrian granite corestone of the Peninsula pluton.

Muslim Friendly Travel TO Diving the Cape Peninsula and False Bay/Omega Reef

-34.2194 |018.472|width=|align= Omega Reef and nearby dive sites}} This site is dived from a boat. It is too far offshore for shore dives.

The site is about 1.8 km from Miller's Point slipway.

What to see in Diving the Cape Peninsula and False Bay/Omega Reef

Marine life

Reef life is typical of a moderate depth reef in this area. Echinoderms are the dominant invertebrates, and include very high densities of sea cucumbers and feather stars, and large numbers of brittlestars.

• Blue choirboys ascidians at Omega Reef P6237984 - Blue choirboys ascidians
• Red bait pod at Omega Reef P6237993 - Red bait pod
• Sunburst soft coral at Omega Reef P6237974 - Sunburst soft coral
• Multicolour sea fan at Omega Reef P6237982 - Multicolour sea fan
• Sponge at Omega Reef P6237987 - Sponge
• Sponge at Omega Reef P6237992 - Sponge

Photography

Most suitable for macro photography, though wide angle can give good results if the water is clear and good strobes are used.

Suggested routes

No special routes are recommended For your first dive at the site, start from the north pinnacle, swim down the gully to the West and explore the deeper parts of the pinnacle around the north side and work your way up the pinnacle to get the most on-reef dive time out of your gas.

Stay Safe

Hazards

No known site-specific hazards.

Skills

No special skills required. Most of the reef is a bit deep for entry level divers. There is a substantial are above 18 m, but there are more convenient places more suitable for entry level divers nearby.

Equipment

If you plan to surface away from the shotline, a DSMB is recommended. A light will be useful most days to bring up the colours.

Nearby

• Diving the Cape Peninsula and False Bay/Insanity Reef|Insanity Reef GPS -34.213617,18.467400
• Diving the Cape Peninsula and False Bay/Rocklands blinder|Rocklands Blinder GPS -34.215000,18.466667
• Diving the Cape Peninsula and False Bay/Alpha Reef|Alpha Reef GPS -34.216450,18.469733
• Diving the Cape Peninsula and False Bay/Spaniard Rock|Spaniard Rock GPS -34.217167,18.467167
• Diving the Cape Peninsula and False Bay/Stern Reef|Stern Reef GPS -34.2194,18.4672
• Diving the Cape Peninsula and False Bay/SAS Pietermaritzburg|SAS Pietermaritzburg GPS -34.221716,18.474417
• Diving the Cape Peninsula and False Bay/Caravan Reef|Caravan Reef - PMB Pinnacles GPS -34.221850,18.476067
• Diving the Cape Peninsula and False Bay/Caravan Reef|Caravan Reef - North Caravan GPS -34.222533,18.478883
• Diving the Cape Peninsula and False Bay/Caravan Reef|Caravan Reef - Caravan Central GPS ,
• Diving the Cape Peninsula and False Bay/Caravan Reef|Caravan Reef - Inner Caravan GPS -34.225,18.474167
• Diving the Cape Peninsula and False Bay/Caravan Reef|Caravan Reef - South Caravan GPS -34.225217,18.478683

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