Alpha Reef

Understand

This is a compact reef of medium depth, and a pleasant dive. It is close to the slipway at Miller’s Point, but is not dived very often.

Position 1 Alpha Reef: S34°12.987’ E018°28.184’ — (Highest point of reef) Bearing to Spaniard Rock 276°magnetic 250 m This site is in a Marine Protected Area (2004). A permit is required.

Name The site was previously known as "Outer Spaniard", due to its proximity to Spaniard Rock, but "Alpha Reef" seems to now be more common usage. This may be a reference to Alpha Dive Centre, who visited the site quite frequently at one time.

Depth Maximum depth is about 15 m on the sand beyond the rocks. Average about 11 m. Top of the reef at about 2.5 m.

Visibility Visibility will normally be similar to the visibility at Caravan Reef and the wreck of the Pietermaritzburg, but it can differ from deeper sites in the area, and could be significantly better or worse. Visibility has been known to be around 10 m at Alpha, and nearer 6&npsp;m at Omega at exactly the same time

Topography The reef is an outcrop of granite corestones in two main sections divided by a sandy bottomed east to west gully. The bigger southern lobe extends to within 3m of the surface, and is also subdivided by a fairly deep gully running from east to west. The southern outcrop slopes up from the south steeply at first, then flattens out and slopes down into the gully, with a steep wall on both sides of the central ridge. The north section starts from the gully and slopes gradually up to the north to about 4m above the sand, then drops quite steeply to the sand. Both sections slope down to the east, where the north section tapers down to nothing. The west end has a few outlying outcrops of various sizes. The south section is about twice the area of the north section and has a deep transverse crack just east of the high point. The reef extends approximately 160m from east to west and about 95 m from north to south and is in a compact group, with few outliers. It

Getting there

Usually considered a boat dive. The site is 1.58 km from Miller's Point slipway at 011° magnetic or ?? km from Simon's Town jetty, but can be done as a shore dive from Rocklands Point. There is adequate parking on the gravel lay-bye on the seaward side of the main road M4, near the signpost warning against baboons. Access from the road to the shore is poor. There are several steep eroded paths, some worse than others. Choose the one that looks best on the day. All are slippery and steep, with loose gravel. If you have a large group it may be worth arranging a rope for safety, otherwise a walking stick or staff could be useful. It is quite a long swim out to the reef. (about 420 m). See the site description for Spaniard Rock for more information on shore access.

See

Marine life

The reef has a zone of heavy red-bait at the top, with sparse Split fan kelp, and lower down is mostly covered by common feather stars with patches of Red chested and Mauve cucumbers, Striped anemones, and Strawberry anemones. The flatter deep sections have some fairly bare areas and quite a lot of urchins and black brittle stars. Also quite a few gorgonian sea fans in the deeper areas, many of which are partially or completely overgrown by other organisms.

Photography (photographic equipment suggestions)

Routes Either swim out on the surface to the reef of go by boat. Position is most easily fixed by GPS. Dive round the reef. After you have seen the reef, either return to the boat or swim back to shore on a compass course. You may wish to visit Spaniard Rock on the way back.