FOUR MILE REEF (16 - 30 metres) 🤿

Photo Credit: 📸 Padi Instructor Anna 😎

4 Mile Reef is a lesser-known but beautiful and richly biodiverse reef in Sodwana Bay, perfect for divers who enjoy peaceful, unspoiled underwater environments with fewer crowds. It’s part of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, a protected marine reserve and UNESCO World Heritage Site.

This is an amazing dive site that is a Pisces favorite. 4 Mile Reef stretches perpendicular to the shore line with a large wall, sand patches, canyons, gullies and bommies. Schooling Snappers, Slingers and Fusiliers treat the eye on your dive. Buoyancy is even more important here, because of the large delicate Plate Coral that cover the reef. We have seen it all here from the tiny Orangutan Crab to losing count of the amount of Bluefin King Fish hunting on the reef.

This reef is commonly called Teddy Bears because all the plate corals make it look like the bears had a picnic and then stacked all the plates. 

There are amazing acropora and Turbinara plate corals that go on for days.  It's best when the visibility is good.  You can expect to see king fish galore, juvenile marbled leopard rays, juvenile clown triggers, pipe fish and lots of anemones especially magnificent anemones housing shrimps and occasionally Orangutang crabs.  

🌊 Quick Overview of 4 Mile Reef:

📍 Location:

Roughly 6.4 km north of Jesser Point (Sodwana’s main launch site), 4 Mile Reef is accessible by boat.

📏 Depth Range:

• Average Depth: 15–18 meters

• Maximum Depth: Around 22 meters

• Suitable for Open Water and Advanced Divers

  
  

🐟 What to Expect Underwater:

Despite being less frequently dived, 4 Mile Reef offers vibrant marine life and excellent conditions:

• Hard and soft coral gardens in great condition

• Turtles, rays, and potato bass

• Moray eels, lionfish, and scorpionfish

• Colorful reef fish like butterflyfish, wrasse, and angelfish

• Occasional pelagic sightings, such as manta rays or dolphins

  
  

🪸 Reef Features:

• Rich coral cover with ledges, overhangs, and coral bommies

• A mix of sandy bottoms and reef structure ideal for exploring

• Great visibility and lighting for underwater photography

  
  

🌊 Dive Conditions:

• Visibility: Typically 15–25 meters

• Current: Generally mild to moderate

• Water Temperature: 22–27°C year-round

  
  

⭐ Why Dive 4 Mile Reef?

• Less crowded, offering a more intimate diving experience

• Fantastic spot for underwater photographers and macro lovers

• Pristine coral health and diverse marine ecosystems

• Ideal for divers seeking something off the beaten path

  
  

📅 Best Time to Dive:

November to March is the warmest and most active season, with possible sightings of Manta rays and Dolphins.