Uganda is an East African country with a huge amount to see. It has a wide-ranging landscape with high mountain peaks, wide rivers (including the Nile), and a whole host of plant and animal life. What Uganda does lack is any coast – it’s landlocked. So does that mean a Uganda scuba diving trip is out of the question?
You might have difficulty finding somewhere to dive in Uganda. Uganda does have Lake Victoria, the world’s second-largest lake with an enormous surface area of 68,000 square kilometres. Sadly, it’s not a good dive spot. Parts of the lake are polluted with raw sewage, and much of its native marine life was killed off by the introduction of Nile perch.
However a Ugandan diver shouldn’t give up on a scuba diving trip. Uganda is one of Africa’s most fascinating countries, with its huge snow-capped mountains, rainforests and gorillas. When you feel the call of the sea, a Uganda scuba diving trip just means hopping on a short flight to South Africa, for some world-class diving.
Divers can visit the Aliwal Shoal Marine Protected Area off the southern KwaZulu-Natal town of Umkomaas, one of the top dive sites in South Africa. This is where ragged-tooth sharks congregate for months, along with dozens of other species.
The true wonder of Aliwal Shoal is that it is a congregation area for ragged-tooth sharks. Between July and December, it’s not unusual to see 50 or 60 at a time.
No-one has quite figured out why they gather here. They are no threat at all to divers, and despite their ferocious appearance, are very calm.
From the land, you’d never guess how special this undersea area is. Divers brought it to the attention of conservationists, and it was declared a Marine Protected Area in 2004.