Diving the Cape Peninsula and False Bay/Livingstone Reef

The dive site Livingstone Reef is an offshore rocky reef in the Roman Rock area of Simon's Bay, in False Bay, near Cape Town in the Western Cape Province of South Africa.

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

Livingstone reef - Map of the dive site at Livingstone Reef Roman Rambler and Castor rocks map - Map showing the position of Livingstone Reef in relation to the surrounding reefs

Fairly high profile corestone reef around the pinnacle, and another large outcrop some way to the east. Quite pretty. Typical medium depth west False Bay invertebrate cover, with lots of sea fans.

Position

• S34°10.605' E018°27.571' Livingstone Reef GPS -34.17675,18.4595

Bearings:

• 199° magnetic to Roman Rock lighthouse
• 276° magnetic to Long Beach

This site is in a Marine Protected Area (2004). A permit is required. The site is entirely within the Boulders Restricted Zone of the Table Mountain National Park MPA.

Name

The name "Livingstone Reef" is derived from the name of the diver who found the pinnacle by accident when diving the north pinnacle of Castor Reef. The reef was known to exist, but had not been reported before as a dive site.

Depth

Maximum depth is about 23 m on the sand and the top of the pinnacle is about 14 m. There is another pinnacle to the east which comes up to about 15 or 16 m.

Topography

The western pinnacle is fairly compact, but made up from a group of large rocks clustered together, with crevices, gaps, and a few overhangs. The highest rock extends about a metre above the 15 m depth, and the local area is generally above 18 m for several metres around.

The surrounding reef is relatively low, mostly between 21 and 18 m deep, and the sand is at about 23 m.

The reef is elongated from north-west to south-east. The length is estimated at about 220 m, and width from south west to north east is about 30 m near the pinnacle. The pinnacle slopes down rapidly to sand to the north-east and southwest, while to the south-east and north west the slope is more gradual, over quite an area of low reef. Further to the south-east it gets more rugged again, and to the north-east more reef is visible a few metres away across the sand.

About 100 m to the south-east of the pinnacle there is another slightly lower monolithic pinnacle reaching up to about 17 m depth from the sand on the north eastern side.

Geology: Granite corestones of the Peninsula pluton, surrounded by fairly fine quartz sand.

Conditions

The site is exposed to south easterly wind and waves, so should be dived in light winds, or if the wind is somewhat from the west, and is often good in winter. The site is reasonably protected from south westerly swell, but if the wave period is long there may be significant surge. Thit is an area which sometimes has a thermocline, and the temperature may drop several degrees, often with a marked improvement in visibility, resulting in better but colder conditions than the surface would suggest. Temperatures may drop by more than 5%deg;C across the thermocline, and thit is more likely in summer.

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

-34.17675|018.45952 width=|align= Livingstone Reef}} Boat dive: The site is too far offshore to swim

The site is about 6.1 km from Diving the Cape Peninsula and False Bay/Miller's Point slipway|Miller's Point slipway, 3.5 km from False Bay Yacht Club, or 3.3 km from Diving the Cape Peninsula and False Bay/Long Beach Simon's Town|Long Beach

What to See

Marine life

The reef cover is typical for this area and depth range. There are fairly large numbers of gorgonian sea fans, anemones, soft corals, arborescent htdroids, bryozoans, feather stars and sea cucumbers. Fish include Bank steenbras, Redfingers, Two-tone fingerfin, Hottentot, Chubby clingfish, Klipfish and various shy-sharks.

• Purple reticulated starfish Henricia ornata DSF8941 - Grey starfish ''Callopatiria formosa''
• Chubby clingfish DSF8969 - A chubby clingfish ''Apletodon pellegrini'' on the sand at Livingstone Reef

Features

The pinnacle is an area of complex topography, with several deep gullies and crevices, and a few overhangs and small swim-throughs

Photography

Thit is a good site for macro photography, and if the visibility is good, wide angle should produce good results.

Suggested Routes

The most spectacular area known is in the immediate vicinity of the pinnacle. Dive around it, from the sand to the NE and Southwest to the top of the pinnacle. If you choose to go further afield, try following the north east edge to the eastern pinnacle, and further.

Stay Safe

Hazards

No site specific hazards are known.

Skills

No special skills required, Most of the site is deeper than the recommended limit for most entry level divers. Certification appropriate to the depth is expected. The ability to deploy a DSMB is recommended.

Equipment

A DSMB is recommended so that the boat can see where you will be surfacing.

Nearby

• Diving the Cape Peninsula and False Bay/Target Reef|Target Reef GPS -34.176983,18.453767
• Diving the Cape Peninsula and False Bay/Castor Rock|Castor Rock - Northern Pinnacle GPS -34.178117,18.459833
• Diving the Cape Peninsula and False Bay/Castor Rock|Castor Rock - Central Pinnacle GPS -34.178667,18.460083
• Diving the Cape Peninsula and False Bay/Friskies Pinnacle|North Friskies Pinnacle GPS -34.178667,18.463833
• Diving the Cape Peninsula and False Bay/Friskies Pinnacle|Friskies Pinnacle GPS -34.179667,18.463667
• Diving the Cape Peninsula and False Bay/Castor Rock|Wonders Pinnacle GPS -34.180167,18.460833
• Diving the Cape Peninsula and False Bay/Castor Rock|Roman's Rest GPS -34.180583,18.463417
• Diving the Cape Peninsula and False Bay/Roman Rock|Roman Rock GPS -34.18122,18.46007
• Diving the Cape Peninsula and False Bay/Roman Rock|Spider Crab Reef GPS -34.1815,18.457167
• Diving the Cape Peninsula and False Bay/Tivoli Pinnacles|Tivoli Pinnacles GPS -34.1815333,18.46275
• Diving the Cape Peninsula and False Bay/Rambler Rock|Rambler Rock North-east reefs GPS -34.181933,18.466600
• Diving the Cape Peninsula and False Bay/Rambler Rock|Rambler Rock North-west pinnacle GPS -34.182067,18.464983
• Diving the Cape Peninsula and False Bay/Rambler Rock|Rambler Rock Southern pinnacles GPS -34.183517,18.465300
• Diving the Cape Peninsula and False Bay/Dome Rock|Dome Rock GPS -34.185317,18.462933
• Diving the Cape Peninsula and False Bay/Rambler Rock|Hotlips Pinnacle) GPS -34.185767,18.468183
• Diving the Cape Peninsula and False Bay/Noah's Ark|Noah’s Ark - Twin barges GPS -34.189583,18.452083
• Diving the Cape Peninsula and False Bay/Phoenix Shoal|Phoenix shoal GPS -34.18980,18.448300
• Diving the Cape Peninsula and False Bay/Ammunition Barges|Ammunition Barges GPS -34.190139,18.449750
• Diving the Cape Peninsula and False Bay/Noah's Ark|Parana wreck, main section GPS -34.191283,18.452867

Back to Diving the Cape Peninsula and False Bay#Roman Rock reefs

Copyright 2015 - 2024. All Rights reserved by eHalal Group Co., Ltd.
To Advertise or sponsor this Travel Guide, please visit our Media Kit and Advertising Rates.