If you like the idea of snorkelling but feel a little wary, these guys will have you confidently exploring kelp forests in no time! A fun, affordable half-day out that anyone can enjoy.

Where are they?
1 Albert Rd, Muizenberg, Cape Town

Why should I do this?
If you like the idea of snorkelling but feel a little wary or nervous, these guys will have you confidently exploring kelp forests in no time.

How much does it cost?
R775 per person for half a day. This includes the use of a 5mm wetsuit, gloves, mask, snorkel, fins and socks. They also take a few photographs and video footage that they share with you afterwards.

What do I need to do this?
Take your swimwear, towel, sunscreen and an underwater camera if you have one. They will take care of the rest.

Contact details
Telephone +27 72 879 0772, visit their website, or follow them on Facebook.

I have recently discovered the world of snorkelling! It’s all quite exciting and scary at the same time – I have a healthy respect for the ocean and all the creatures in it.  I tried out diving a few years ago, but didn’t really like all the equipment that came with it. I think I may prefer freediving if I was going to go that route.

But in the meantime while I pluck up the courage to go deeper, I have been happy to don my mask and wetsuit and float about checking out the watery world below. My favourite spot so far is the Marine Tidal Pool in Hermanus – you won’t believe the amount of life in there! So many colourful urchins and anemones,  gigantic starfish, shoals of silver fish and even an octopus or two. It’s well worth a visit when you are in Hermanus.

But I digress… The reason for this short blog is to let you know about this super company in Cape Town that will take you snorkelling and freediving.  A friend of mine recently did their freediving course and loved it, so I looked them up and was delighted to see that they did a half-day snorkelling trip suitable for beginners and at a reasonable price.

The morning starts at 08h30 their head office in Muizenberg where they kit you out with all that you need to embrace the ocean. If you have your own gear and wetsuit, you are welcome to use that. After a brief chat about what to expect, along with meeting your fellow snorkellers, you get taken in their minibus to the snorkel spot. These vary depending on the weather (especially the wind!) and on my day the wind was picking up so we went to Windmill Beach in Simon’s Town.

Once there we donned our wetsuits, wiped baby oil in our masks to stop them fogging up (no spitting allowed in masks that get shared with others!) and spent well over an hour floating above a kelp forest wonderland. All the usual favourites were there, but what I loved the most was the huge schools of large fish that would swim past you and alongside you. We were also lucky enough to find an octopus – the most counted at Windmill Beach is nine! As the water was quite rough due to the wind, we couldn’t go very far out so no sharks were spotted. But it was amazing how quickly the time goes by when taking in so many wonderful things just a bit further out than those paddling by the beach.  You really don’t have to go far out, or take up diving to experience the wonders of the ocean!

All in all, it was a great morning and I now know I can confidently snorkel in fairly shallow waters. Our guide was fun, friendly and informative and imparted of his knowledge about the sea creatures (including how to find an octopus) whilst making everyone feel comfortable and safe. There is also a safety surface buoy that you can hold onto if you feel unsure.

I will leave you with this, taken from Cape Town Freedivers Facebook page…

“I can’t believe I’ve lived in this city (Cape Town) all my life – meters away from this beautiful world! I never knew there is so much colour, so much life right here, in our ocean! The thought of swimming / getting caught up in the kelp has just been too scary.”

We hear this A LOT and it’s so easy to think that way because from the surface, more often than not, the waters do look wild and dark. What most people don’t realise is that this wild underwater world is one of the last remaining natural wonders of our world. The Great African Seaforest is an ocean sanctuary teaming with life and diversity! Rich, colourful, alive and enchanting.

Inside information:
There is no need to worry about sharks! If you are lucky you may get to see a few small ones in the kelp forests. As for the big guys – they are no longer in the bay (which is sad). Nobody knows why they’ve left, it could be due to food or because of the orcas that have moved in.

Published April 2022 | Own cost