Froggy Pond
This dive site, known as "Froggy Pond" on official maps and charts, offers a unique underwater experience in South Africa. Despite its name, there are no frogs to be found here. As a shore dive site, Froggy Pond is ideal for divers of all levels, including beginners, as it provides a sheltered and calm environment with a flat sandy bottom.
When exploring the sandy seabed, you may come across a few hidden treasures such as buried horseshoe cucumbers, long siphoned whelks, sand stars, and even the elusive Puffadder shy sharks. The beach itself features a combination of sandy areas and rocky reefs on both sides. Towards the south end of the beach, you'll encounter colossal granite cornerstone outcrops with dolerite dikes, forming a wide point that separates Froggy Pond from Fisherman's Beach.
Follow the point out to sea, and you'll discover a medium to low outcrop reef resting on a sand bottom. As you venture further, you'll notice variations in the sand texture, ranging from coarse to granular shelly sand overlays. The rocky point holds narrow deep crevices that unexpectedly harbor a diverse range of marine life, making it more captivating than one might anticipate from a shore dive. While the open rocks may appear bare, the north side of the point boasts a long horizontal crevice teeming with fascinating organisms. It's worth noting that this crevice can experience strong surges, particularly in larger swells.
As you explore the shallower areas, pear limpets dot the rocks, followed by urchins slightly deeper, and sparse red bait. If you venture to deeper reefs, you'll encounter elegant feather stars, mauve and red-chested cucumbers, and common feather stars. The sandy sections are relatively bare, with buried horseshoe cucumbers, long siphoned whelks, sand stars, and the elusive Puffadder shy sharks making occasional appearances. Kelp growth on the rocks is relatively sparse, but you'll find an abundance of twiggy corallines in the shallows, gradually transitioning to crustose corallines in deeper waters.
With a visibility of around 7 meters and a maximum depth of 7 meters, Froggy Pond provides an excellent diving experience for beginners, allowing them to explore the diverse marine life in a calm and controlled environment. Located in Ward 61, Simon's Town, Cape Town, South Africa, Froggy Pond is easily accessible from Main Road, making it a convenient choice for divers seeking an adventure in the Western Cape region.
Last updated: 12 mo. ago - Oct 3, 2023