FIVE MILE REEF (15 - 48) METERS🤿

Photo Credit: 📸 Niel Cillie 😎

5 Mile Reef is a beautiful and diverse dive site located just north of the popular 2 Mile Reef in Sodwana Bay, South Africa. It’s a favorite for divers looking to explore less crowded, vibrant reefs with a rich variety of marine life and healthy coral systems.

Five mile reef is a captivating vast area.  The known sites that we often dive and can't get enough of are Pothole, Fusiliers, Ribbon, Lettuce or Uniform, Gotham and Seamore Ledge.  Each reef is stunning in its own right. 

Pothole has mesmerizing corals with a good chance of seeing reef sharks, Fusiliers has a plethora of schooling fish, Ribbon named after the ribbon eels that live there has Pipefish, cleaning stations, occasional Weedy Scorpion fish, massive Groupers and Firefish. 

Lettuce is a deeper reef and what is special about this reef is that the coral is one gigantic animal, a huge pachyseris coral literally the size of two tennis courts which on a good vis day is breathtaking to behold.  There are some special fish that only occur around this coral and depth, namely the Guilded Trigger fish, Swallowtail and Tiger Angelfish, you can also spot Marbled Leopard Groupers, Smooth Rockcod, an array of abundance of Chocolate Dips, Elongate Surgeons and Lobster hiding under the coral. 

Gotham and Seamore ledge are uniquely beautiful.  Gotham starts on the northern side with Coral Rubble and Feather Stars. If you are lucky you can be amazed with the appearances of Bulls and Oceanic Blacktips that like to hang here. At the start of Seamore ledge - as you drift south you will cross patches of Pachyseris with layers of Snappers and Fusiliers above the coral in clouds, on the Southern end, there are schools and schools of Slingers, Groupers and occasionally schooling scalloped epic Hammerheads. The offshore and North edge of Gotham is a ledge which is part of the old continental shelf we call Seamore Ledge. 

🌊 Quick Facts About 5 Mile Reef:

📍 Location:

Approximately 8 km north of Jesser Point (Sodwana’s main launch site), 5 Mile Reef lies within the iSimangaliso Wetland Park – a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its ecological diversity and protection.

📏 Depth Range:

• Average depth: 14–18 meters

• Maximum depth: Around 21 meters

• Suitable for Open Water divers and perfect for those gaining confidence in mid-depth diving.

  
  

🐠 What You’ll See:

5 Mile is less frequently dived, making it feel pristine and untouched. You can expect:

• Colorful hard and soft coral gardens

• Moray eels, lionfish, nudibranchs

• Schools of fusiliers, butterflyfish, and snapper

• Turtles, including loggerhead and green

• Potato bass, emperor angelfish, and rays

• Seasonal visitors like Manta rays (Nov–Mar)

  
  

🪸 Reef Structure:

• Complex reef formations with ledges, overhangs, and scattered coral heads

• Sandy patches between bommies, making it ideal for spotting macro life

• A mix of exploration and relaxing reef cruising

  
  

🌊 Diving Conditions:

• Visibility: 15–30 meters on a good day

• Currents: Typically mild, but can vary

• Water Temp: 22–27°C depending on season

  
  

⭐ Why Dive 5 Mile Reef?

• Less diver traffic means more pristine conditions

• Great for underwater photography – both macro and wide-angle

• Rich biodiversity with the chance to see both reef dwellers and pelagics

• A perfect spot for divers looking for something off the beaten path

  
  

📅 Best Time to Visit:

Sodwana offers year-round diving, but November to March brings the warmest water and best chance for spotting larger migratory species like Mantas.