SeaXplore Lodge and Dive Center

SeaXplore Lodge & Dive Centre is situated in Sodwana Bay that forms part of a World Heritage Site, renowned for its beautiful scenery, Big 5 Reserves and exceptional Diving. The lodge features FREE Wi-Fi, air-conditioned rooms, large tranquil grounds, and a private outdoor pool. Situated close to all amenities, 5 min drive from the beach and 50 km from nearest Big 5 Game Reserve. SeaXplore Lodge & Dive Centre offers Accommodation as well as personalized Scuba Diving. Sodwana Bay is considered one of the top 10 Dive destinations in the World and also offers Bird watching, Whale watching, Deep sea fishing, Quad biking tours, Turtle tours, Game drives, Snorkeling, and Boat rides. Our accommodation includes the main Guesthouse (Sleeps 10-12) with 5 Bedrooms and 4 Bathrooms (2 ensuite and 2 external). The large open plan Living Area, Dining Room and Kitchen is shared. A Guest Apartment (sleeps 4 - 6) is also available on the premises with 2 Bedrooms, 1.5 Bathrooms, and a large open plan Living Room, Dining Area and Kitchen. Both units are fully self-catering with all necessities provided such as towels, cutlery, crockery, cooking utensils, microwave, stove, fridge, and kettle. Laundry facilities, full catering and baby-sitting are available at an additional charge. [Please CONTACT HOST directly for any BOOKINGS from 15 DEC - 10 JAN, as online booking is not supported during peak diving season].

Area Info

If you enjoy the wilderness and "off the beaten track" experience, beautiful unspoilt beaches and unparalleled marine life, Sodwana Bay is just such a place. Sodwana Bay is a small rural town situated in South Africa on the KwaZulu-Natal north coast, between St. Lucia and Lake Sibhayi. Sodwana Bay commonly refers to both the marine reserve (Maputaland Marine Protected Area) and the terrestrial park (iSimangaliso Wetlands Park) as well as the geographical bay and is frequented by scuba divers and anglers. Sodwana is situated in the Maputaland Marine Protected Area and is the only recreational scuba diving area along the iSimangaliso Wetlands Park coastline. Classified as one of the top 10 dive sites in the world, the park is visited by some 35 000 scuba divers per year. The bay is near the southern end of the tropical western Indo-Pacific marine ecoregion, and reef-building corals are present. The 50 km reef complex is habitat to a wide diversity of resident and migratory species. Sailfish, king mackerel, kingfish and other pelagic species of game fish migrate south down the east coast of Africa which has established Sodwana as a sport fishing destination for pelagic species. The marine protected area is known for endangered marine megafauna including whale sharks, great white sharks, hammerhead sharks, blacktip sharks, manta rays, critically endangered leatherback turtles, loggerhead sea turtles, and coelacanths. Several submarine canyons cut into the edge of the continental shelf, which is very close to the shoreline. It was in one of these that on 27 November 2000 that a resident population of Coelacanth was discovered. The discovery of Coelacanths made the region world-famous. The owner of SeaXplore Dive Centre holds the record for the shallowest recording in the world of a Coelacanth observed at 54m in Diepgat Canyon, Sodwana Bay. He (Christo van Jaarsveld) has also recorded other Coelacanth individuals new to science (at depths of 100m+) of which one (individual 33) was named after him - Christo.