Dive Action Cape Town

False Bay, through the lens of Ceri Coxon

A collection of stunning images captured while exploring some of False Bay's incredible dive sites - shot on Olympus TG-7 in the Nauticam South Africa NA-TG7 housing, paired with a YS-D130R strobe.

Compact setup. Big results.

📸 Ceri Coxon
📷 Olympus TG-7 + Nauticam NA-TG7
💡 YS-D130R

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Dive beneath the surface and discover a world of colour, texture, and detail that's so often overlooked. 🌊✨

From intricate nudibranchs to vibrant corals, every dive reveals incredible marine life waiting to be appreciated. These stunning images, captured by Cleeve Robertson, remind us that the ocean is full of extraordinary beauty - even in its smallest inhabitants.

📸 Captured using:
• Nikon D850
• Nikon 8–15mm Fisheye Lens
• Nauticam Housing
• Inon Z240 Strobes

The right equipment, combined with patience, skill, and a passion for the underwater world, makes it possible to share these breathtaking moments with everyone.

Which image is your favourite? Let us know in the comments! 👇

Today, August 5:

“This day in our shipwreck and aeronautical wreck history”

1909: Maori, this British steam-powered refrigerated cargo ship was wrecked in the eponymous Maori Bay, south of Llandudno in the Western Cape. It left Table Bay at midnight on the 4th and ran into a thick fog off Sea Point. In less than an hour it had run onto a rock at full steam. It started sinking immediately and the crew took to the lifeboats. In the confusion fifteen crewmen were left behind. Their presence was discovered later in the day by local fishermen who managed to get a line across to the wreck. Two men managed to get ashore on this line, but two others drowned in the attempt. The remaining crew had to wait another twenty-four hours before a rocket apparatus was set up on the rocks adjacent to the wreck, and they could be hauled to safety. A number of photos were taken of the wreck and the rescue efforts, a haunting image shows a lone sailor standing on the fore-mast awaiting rescue, it is unclear if he survived. Two of the victims of the tragedy were buried in a small graveyard near Slangkop lighthouse in Kommetjie, they joined a victim of the Clan Monroe shipwreck which happened a few years earlier in 1905.

Today, the Maori lies perpendicular to the coast with its stern surrounded by granite boulders, and its bow facing out to sea, about 75 metres offshore. Water depth on the wreck ranges from 7 metres on its stern, to 22 metres on its bow.

As the Maori lies in the relative shelter of Maori Bay, it remained well preserved. The famous ocean explorer Jaques Cousteau dived on the wreck in the 1960s and declared that it was the best preserved wreck of its type that he had seen. This was largely due to it being intact with the cargo lying neatly stacked in the hull which was accessible to swim through.

Unfortunately, the well-preserved nature of its hull lead to increasingly destructive attempts to recover some of the cargo. In the 1970s, dynamite was used on the bow section of the wreck, and while it opened up the hull, it also damaged a lot of the cargo and the super structure of the vessel. The remnants of the cases of ceramics, wine, and champagne it was carrying were visible for years after. However much of its cargo has now been depleted by souvenir hunters who have slowly stripped the Maori of its artefacts. There is now a large debris field of broken glass and ceramics surrounding the bow and the wreck is collapsing onto itself in some areas. Parts of its hull that were once accessible to divers have now mostly collapsed and it is not advised to enter the wreck.

However, the Maori still makes for a really interesting dive (it’s a favourite of the MUCH team), its boilers, engine heat exchanger, propeller shaft, and various winches mounted on its upper deck are identifiable. Piles of railway lines lie near the stern of the wreck and large steel pipes rest on the deck near the bow. If you look carefully there are rolls of linoleum, slightly encrusted with sea life, showing a popular Victorian geometric pattern. Amongst the wreckage are many pieces of broken ceramics, perhaps remains of the toys, crockery and bed pans that were once commonplace on the wreck.

While diving on the wreck is encouraged, it is important to note that it is protected by the National Heritage Resources Act (No. 25 of 1999), and visitors are asked not to damage or remove items from the wreck and to leave it as you found it so that others can enjoy visiting this interesting part of our maritime history.

✨ A moment of pure ocean magic. ✨

There's something unforgettable about locking eyes with a manta ray as it glides effortlessly through the blue. With wingspans reaching up to 5 metres, these gentle giants are among the most graceful creatures in our oceans.

Sodwana Bay is one of South Africa's premier destinations for manta ray encounters. While sightings are never guaranteed, the warm, nutrient-rich waters attract reef manta rays throughout the year - especially during the warmer months when plankton is plentiful. Every encounter is a privilege and a reminder of just how incredible our coastline truly is.

Even more fascinating? Some of the mantas photographed in Sodwana have been identified travelling hundreds of kilometres between South Africa and Mozambique, showing just how important it is to protect these connected marine ecosystems.

Have you ever been lucky enough to see a manta ray underwater? Tell us about your experience below! 👇

🌊 Dive Action | Exploring. Protecting. Inspiring.