South Paw

城市概覽

Position 1 South Lion's Paw: S33°56.308’ E018°21.890’ South Paw is about 600 m offshore of the headland between Clifton and Camp's Bay. This site is in the Table Mountain National Park Marine Protected Area since 2004. A permit is required.

Name The name "South Lion's Paw" is an allusion to the mountain "Lion's Head" directly above Clifton. The mountain is likened to the head of a reclining lion, whose back is Signal Hill, and whose paws are the two groups of rocks to the south and north of Clifton.

Depth Maximum depth recorded is about 20 m

Topography Granite corestone outcrops and boulders of large size, a small group of which break the surface and have precipitous walls dropping almost vertically to about 15m. They are surrounded by other smaller boulders and lower outcrops which extend some distance in all directions. There are small patches of coarse shelly aggregate in the bottom of the gullies, but no extensive sand bottom nearby. To the north of the eastern end of the exposed rocks is a large boulder with an arch against the main rocks, and there is a deep narrow gully along the north side, but the surge may be strong in this area. As is usual with this type of reef formation there are holes and overhangs under some of the boulders. Geology: Granite of the late Pre-Cambrian Peninsula pluton

Conditions The site is exposed to the south west swell, so should be dived in low swell, and is often good after south east wind. The site is reasonably protected from south east winds, but if they are strong the boat trip may be unpleasant. The site is usually at its best in summer but there are also occasional opportunities in autumn and early winter. This is an area which sometimes has upwellings, caused by the south east wind, resulting in cold clear water, which may develop an algal bloom over a few days which will reduce the visibility again.

如何抵達

This is a boat dive. The site is 7.7 km from Oceana Power Boat Club slipway, Granger Bay, or Cape Town Harbour V&A Waterfront. Best done as a live-boat dive due to the proximity of the exposed rocks and the strong surge over the top of the shallower rocks.

必看景點

Marine life

Marine life is typical of the general area. There is not much sea bamboo kelp as the reef is mostly too deep for it. The shallower rock surfaces have the usual heavy encrustation of red bait, and deeper steep and overhanging surfaces are covered by sponges, colonial ascidians, sea fans and anemones. Less steep deep surfaces have urchins and grey sea cucumbers. The nippled nudibranch has been photographed here, and is not known from anywhere else. If you see or photograph one, please notify SURG.

Photography This is a good site for macro invertebrate photography.

Routes No route is particularly recommended, but it may be advisable to keep clear of the exposed rocks at shallow depth to avoid being washed onto them by the surge. This will depend on conditions on the day.