Umkomaas is a diving enthusiast’s heaven due to superb dive opportunities created by the Aliwal Shoal. The Aliwal Shoal (a 1km long fossilized sand dune made up of sponges and soft and hard coral) was first discovered in 1849 when it sank the steamer Nebo in 1884 and then later the Produce.
Umkomaas is a small coastal town on the south coast of KwaZulu-Natal. The village is found at the mouth of the largest river on the South Coast; the Umkomaas or Mkhomazi River. The river and town’s name: uMkhomazi, means ‘the place of many cows’ in Zulu, and is called this due to the large number of whales that used to use the river estuary as a nursery to give birth.
Additional tourist attractions include the Umkomaas Golf Course and the beautiful Empisini Nature Reserve which is a forested area that features a delightful waterfall and a number of bush walks. The Green Point lighthouse is a National Monument and much sought- after attraction for those interested in a different aspect of the ocean. Humpback Whales can be seen in the area between June and October.
