Duiker Island

Duiker Island, also known locally as Seal Island, is a small offshore rocky islet a few kilometers from Hout Bay notable for a large colony of Cape fur seals and dense kelp forests. The underwater terrain is granite boulders and rocky reef with little sand, making it a shallow, wildlife-focused open-water dive popular for seal encounters. Dives are boat-only with no shore entry; typical diving is shallow, around 6 to 9 m, on a mostly flat rocky bottom near the northwest anchorage which is relatively sheltered by an underwater rocky ridge. Visibility is often moderate, about 5 to 10 m, and water temperatures are cool, around 10 to 15 °C. The site is exposed to south-west swell and south-east wind though much of the dive area lies in the lee of the island. A permit is required to enter the protected marine area; hazards noted include cold water and wind chill after surfacing, surge and changing visibility with weather, thick kelp complicating anchoring, and boat traffic in the busy anchorage.