Sodwana Bay tide times

Predictions: Open-Meteo Marine (MeteoFrance SMOC, 0.08° grid) — heights relative to MSL (not chart datum / LAT). Model-derived.

Model-derived from a global ocean grid. Useful indication; expect about ±45 minutes on average vs. a local harmonic gauge, individual stations vary widely. See /methodology for per-region detail. Not for navigation.

Conditions as of 06:00 local time. Refreshes daily.

Predictions: Open-Meteo Marine (MeteoFrance SMOC, 0.08° grid) — heights relative to MSL (not chart datum / LAT). Model-derived. · Not for navigation.

The angler tradition for major/minor fishing windows: major ≈3-hour windows around moon transit and opposition; minor ≈2-hour windows around moonrise and moonset. Times are Africa/Johannesburg local. Folk tradition, not a scientific forecast.

Next spring tide on Sun 17 May (range 2.1m). Next neap on Fri 22 May.

Spring tides cluster around new and full moons (biggest swings). Neap tides land on quarter moons (smallest swings). See the spring tide and neap tide glossary entries for the why.

Sodwana Bay is on the north KwaZulu-Natal coast, inside the iSimangaliso Wetland Park (UNESCO World Heritage), 360 km north of Durban. The bay is completely different from the urban Durban coast — the coral reefs of Sodwana are part of the southernmost coral reef system on the African continent and are considered the best diving in South Africa. Tidal range is semidiurnal with a mean spring range of about 1.4 metres; the tidal current on the outer reefs runs 1 to 2 knots on springs. The coral reefs at Two Mile Reef, Five Mile Reef, and Nine Mile Reef (named for their distances from the camp) are in 10 to 30 metres of clear Indian Ocean water with visibility often exceeding 20 metres. The fish diversity — tropically influenced by the warm Agulhas Current — includes lion fish, moray eels, many species of grouper, and large game fish including giant trevally and barracuda. Whale sharks pass through the reefs from November through March. Sodwana Bay has a boat launch that is one of the more exciting in South Africa — the beach launch through the surf zone on the outgoing tide requires experience and coordination between the launch crew and the skipper. Incoming surf can catch small dive boats broadside on a missed timing; the camp's boat handlers manage the operation, but it still gets adrenaline-inducing on big swell days. The iSimangaliso park surrounding Sodwana contains an extraordinary range of habitats: the St Lucia estuary (hippos and crocodiles, 40 km south), the coastal dune forests (the highest vegetated dunes in Africa, over 160 metres), and the marine environment of Sodwana itself. Self-drive game viewing on the dune forest tracks is productive for red duiker, bushbuck, and the endemic samango monkey. Leatherback and loggerhead sea turtles nest on the beaches north of Sodwana Bay from October through March. Guided night turtle tours (KZN Wildlife managed, strict group limits) walk the beaches at night to observe nesting females. Hatchling emergence tours in December through February observe the tiny hatchlings emerging and making their run to the sea. Booking through Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife is essential — tours sell out months in advance. Predictions on this page come from Open-Meteo Marine, a gridded global ocean model. Accuracy is typically within plus or minus 45 minutes on timing and 0.2 to 0.3 metres on height — model-derived, not from a local gauge. For South African tide data, consult SANHO at hydro.navy.mil.za.