Whittle Rock 潜水
Whittle Rock 是位于南非西开普省、靠近开普敦的False Bay中部偏西处一个广阔的海上岩石礁。这个礁石上有几个命名的潜水点和地标，但尚未被完全探索或绘制。
了解
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Whittle Rock 及周边礁石覆盖面积广大，是 False Bay 中最显著的航行危险，因为它位于西蒙镇港口的航道上。但由于很少有大型船只进入海湾，目前这并不是一个大问题。据报道，英国东印度公司船只Euphrates号曾在此礁石上失事，但其位置不明，且该说法存疑。一艘名为名为Euprates的英国东印度公司船只于1810年6月在好望角附近触礁受损，但返回港口后进行了维修，并于1813年在锡兰附近失事。发现了几个不同尺寸的锚，大多是相当古老的设计。有些据信来自Euphrates号，其中一些已被绘制成地图。这里也是捕捞礁鱼的热门区域，并且是一个壮观的潜水点。几乎整个礁石都在一般公认的休闲水肺潜水深度范围内（40 米（130 英尺）），并且有相当大的区域适合入门级潜水员。如果它离出发点更近，肯定会更受欢迎。在同一天，这里的能见度通常比False Bay两侧的近岸潜点要好。礁石从东到西延伸约1300 米（4300 英尺），从北到南延伸约950 米（3120 英尺），在局部深水区有沙地，沙舌从礁石的瓣状结构之间的周围沙底向上延伸。
位置
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Whittle Rock 礁石距离海岸约8 公里，位于 Miller's Point 西侧，海豹岛南侧。官方有一个导航浮标标记这个航行危险，但有时它并不在那里。当前的浮标取代了多年前沉没的一个。潜水员报告称，它沉在海底，仍连接着其锚泊系统，可能只是因常年失修而下沉，但这尚未得到证实，该区域已通过多波束声纳进行了高分辨率测绘。“海王星的塞子”这一人造物及其一堆链条可能是早期浮标的锚泊系统，“维克多之链”可能是另一个锚泊系统。
: S34°14.876' E18°33.709'。2021年8月，一个新导航浮标出现在礁石上，位置与之前的不同。新浮标是一个东南方向标记，带有声音信号和灯光，通过重链锚定在21 米深的小沙地上两个混凝土块上，距离主尖峰约50 米，略偏西，主尖峰上升到低潮时官方深度为海平面以下3.6 米，平均深度接近5 米。2025年初，浮标被移走进行维修。
该礁石自2004年起部分位于海洋保护区内。桌山国家公园海洋保护区的东部边界穿过礁石区域的西部，导致超过一半的礁石面积，以及几乎所有受欢迎的投放点，都位于海洋保护区之外。潜水进入海洋保护区需要许可证。
名称
[]该区域在英国海军测绘图上被标记为航行危险，并以皇家海军的一位名叫Whittle的少校命名。这位少校在第一次英国占领开普敦后不久，HMS Indent号在Miller's Point失事后，测量了False Bay的部分区域。具体区域的名称倾向于由报告它们潜水员或测绘它们的人选择，名称可能描述地形、特殊特征，或纪念发现该地点时的事件或人物。特征的命名顺序是按照发现和测绘的顺序进行的，因此名称并不总是遵循严格的地理逻辑。
深度
[]引用的或地图上显示的深度是近似值，相对于平均海平面。潮汐变化可能会使任何给定深度增加或减少约一米。礁石周边的沙地深度从约30 米（98 英尺）到略高于42 米（138 英尺）不等，尽管有些地方连续的沙舌与周围的沙地相连，向上延伸至约25 米（82 英尺），孤立的沙地可能更浅。最浅尖峰的顶部在约5 米（16 英尺），由于该区域的大小和地形的基岩核心石起源，礁石上的深度变化很大。在主尖峰附近有很大一部分区域低于18 米（59 英尺），适合入门级潜水员。礁石的其余大部分不适合没有经验的潜水员，因为高于18 米（59 英尺）的部分很小且彼此不连通。礁石的大部分相对平坦，坡度小于1:5，但也有一些地方深度变化超过18 米（59 英尺），有近乎垂直的断崖。礁石的大部分区域深度小于30 米（98 英尺），适合相当熟练的休闲潜水员。
能见度
[]能见度通常比岸礁好，但与任何False Bay的礁石一样，它并不可预测。在强烈的阳光照射后，可能会在浑浊的浮游生物表层下方出现更好的能见度。当能见度超过10 米（33 英尺）时，这个潜点尤其令人印象深刻，因为可以欣赏到尖峰、沟壑、断崖、巨大的巨石和悬垂地形，以及偶尔的穿游通道。在罕见的、不可预测的情况下，能见度可以超过20 米（66 英尺）。表层水的颜色并不能可靠地指示水下的能见度。
有时False Bay不同潜点之间的能见度差异会令人惊讶。曾有几天，在距离北部约6.5 公里的Fleur号沉船处的能见度不足2 米，30 米以下非常黑暗，而在Whittle，一个小时后，30 米深处的能见度却超过15 米，礁石被阳光明亮地照亮。
地形
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该礁石是一个巨大的花岗岩山丘，是一种由巨大的、独立的岩石露头组成的陆地形态，它从周围平滑温和的沙质斜坡上突然升起。主要趋势是平行延伸的西北-东南向山脊，在许多地方，横向节理会破坏山脊线。有巨大的花岗岩核心石露头和巨石，包括一些高高地支撑在基岩上或卡在沟壑中的巨石，有沙底的沟壑，悬垂和穿游通道。地形差异很大，因为这是一个很大的礁石区域，但所有这些都是典型的花岗岩核心石地貌。
主礁浅水区以东短距离内有相当深的水域，地形陡峭崎岖，在相当狭窄的沙隙处有一些高大突出的孤立区域，而西北方向则在相当大的区域内相对平坦，有零星的高突出特征。主礁向西南倾斜，形成一个长而相对狭窄的沙舌，向东南倾斜。沙舌对面是更多的礁石——南礁区域，通常更深，有高突出尖峰簇区域，中间有一些局部沙地。在这条沙舌的东北方向，是一片宽阔平坦的区域，覆盖着沙子、砾石和卵石，有零星的低洼露头和巨石，在这些地方，区分礁石的结束和卵石床的开始可能很困难，因为大部分礁石边缘都很低且相当平坦。这个区域的大部分水深在30 米（98 英尺）以下。类似、稍深的卵石床与北侧的主礁相邻，在那里有一大片未探索的礁石距离稍远，仅从声纳图像中得知。
礁石的较长、南部部分向西北方向延伸相当长一段距离，有几个相对较浅的区域和孤立的沙地。再往西南是宽阔的沙隙，至少有两块大的不连贯的礁石区域，在最南端的中央和最西南端的两个大的相连礁石瓣。可以通过有等深线的海图大致了解当地的地形，并且每个潜水点的地形都在其各自的章节中进行了讨论。
地质：整个礁石是晚前寒武纪半岛岩体的水下花岗岩核心石山丘，周围是普遍细腻的沙底，部分区域有砾石、卵石和鹅卵石，主要在北部，一些较深的沟壑中为沙底。花岗岩以复杂的图案连接，轮廓变化很大，从平坦的圆顶，到长长的背脊形山脊，到被深窄沟壑分隔的陡峭尖峰簇，再到被巨石和碎石覆盖的缓坡。
下面列出了足够独特以至于被命名为潜水点的已测绘区域，并简要描述了每个站点的总体地形。这些描述旨在参考地图进行阅读。
自2014年5月起，SURG一直在进行间隔3 米（9.8 英尺）的等深线测绘，并且会根据新数据的可用性系统地更新地图。截至2024年中期，Wreckless Marine 公司在2022年进行了一次高分辨率多波束声纳测量，作为详细绘制False Bay地图项目的一部分，但尚未正式发布。几张低分辨率图像已上传到维基共享资源，可以在本文中查看。
天气状况
[]这些潜点暴露于来自各个方向的风浪。然而，礁石大部分都相当深，因此短周期波浪对海底条件影响不大。低短浪和微风是最好的。盛行的长周期浪来自西南方向，如果足够长，即使在深礁石上也会引起涌流。其他波浪通常是短周期风浪和浪花，但礁石离岸足够远，以至于强风中会形成剧烈的浪花，这在返回西蒙镇的途中会非常不舒服。该区域受到开普半岛的保护，免受西北和一定程度的西南海浪影响，但长周期西南海浪会绕过好望角，尽管被削弱，但仍会到达Whittle Rock。
地表洋流最大可达约2 公里（1.2 英里）/小时，由近期风引起，并因科里奥利效应呈逆时针方向的埃克曼螺旋（洋流在更深处偏移更多，但比例上较弱）。船长应将潜水员放入比投绳点稍上游的位置，这与上风方向略有不同，有明显风阻的船只的漂移方向与几乎完全浸没的潜水员的漂移方向不完全相同。偶尔洋流会一直延伸到深礁石，但通常是浅层的。
水温可能随深度变化。夏季中期形成温跃层，秋季变深，冬季消散。能见度在温跃层下方也可能发生显著变化。表层水可能是18或19°C，底部是10或11°C，但差异更有可能是5°C或更少。水下条件难以预测，可能比水面更好或更差。表层可能出现浮游生物水华，能见度可能从3 米（9.8 英尺）或更少突然提高到10 米（33 英尺）以上，或者，不那么常见，表层水相当清澈，但水下浑浊。这种浑浊的水下情况在 False Bay 较深的离岸地点更常见，例如Fleur号（40 米（130 英尺））、General Botha号（54 米（177 英尺））和Bloemfontein号（57 米（187 英尺））等沉船，以及Whittle以南的深礁区域。浑浊的白色浑浊物据说来自False Bay北岸的钙质地层中的细小碳酸钙颗粒，橙棕色的颗粒和团块被认为是引起赤潮的微型浮游生物的聚集体。温跃层的深度也不太可预测，但在夏末已知在12至20 米之间。大约在20 米处的温跃层也可能早在11月底出现，下方能见度更好。这可能是由于数天强风的结果，因为当时Whittle Rock附近有一个相当稳定的向东流动的表层洋流，约1公里/小时，而在礁石上也有一个较弱但明显的洋流。
冬季时，水可能从上到下温度相同，而且由于阳光不足以驱动浮游生物大量繁殖，即使表层光线较弱，水下能见度和自然照明也可能更好。这个潜点没有特定的潜水季节，你只需要等待低涌和微风，然后碰碰运气看能见度。
长周期浪可能会在水下产生显著的涌流，具体取决于局部地形。有些地方的沟壑会聚焦涌流，而另一些地方的高脊和陡峭的断壁可能在其背风处提供相对避风的区域。该礁石位于False Bay以西足够远的地方，可以躲避开普半岛对盛行的西南海浪的遮挡，并且西南海浪绕过好望角衍射以及在Rocky Bank上折射可以消散相当一部分原本会越过礁石的波浪能量，但其能量大小不易预测，尽管北侧Strandfontein海岸的岸边破碎波浪可以提供一些指示。东南风通常没有足够的风速或吹得足够长，无法在False Bay中充分形成波浪，并且它们通常会在一天内消散。
冬季时，海湾偶尔会有雾。这使得导航风险稍大，但由于雾通常伴随着无风，声音传播效果很好，当船只安静时，应该可以听到水面上的潜水员发出的声音信号。这通常需要发动机怠速或关闭，并且船只静止。如果你能听到船本身的声音，船员可能听不到你的声音。将注意力集中在船只安静时，并且你能听到声音或声音信号时，这意味着他们更有可能听到你的声音。
抵达
[]这些潜点只能乘船前往。距离Miller's Point的船坡道约8.5 公里，但船只通常从西蒙镇码头出发。在好天气时，乘坐快艇从西蒙镇码头出发，航行时间不到半小时，距离约14.5 公里。偶尔船只也会从戈登湾老港或港岛码头出发，这两个地方的距离都约29.4 公里。
不建议抛锚。大多数潜点都在不可预测的锚地，并且锚很有可能滑动或挂住，甚至两者兼有，绳索在潜水过程中可能会磨断。这是一个只有亡命之徒才敢从无人看管的船上潜水的地方，因为洋流可能导致在水面无法游回船上，而且除了滑动或挂住之外，锚具还会造成不必要的生态破坏。将船只交给一个有能力的人看管，这个人应该能够在紧急情况下接走失散的潜水员并呼叫救援。如果你确实必须从抛锚的船上潜水，那么连接到船锚缆绳或直接连接到船上的距离线将提高安全返回的机会。
有日租船只可将潜水员带到该地区任何一个潜水点，但大多数运营商只在有限的出发点工作，这限制了他们访问的潜水点。潜水点的访问也取决于天气，并且通常不能提前两到四天预订。有关联系方式，请参阅开普半岛和False Bay船只潜水包车以及相关的服务目录。
活动
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潜入此处列出的已知下潜点，按礁石区域分组，并探索每个点周边的局部礁石，或沿着一条路线潜水。或者，潜入一个未勘测的地点，并告诉我们你的发现。
主礁
[]这是最浅尖峰周围的区域，也是该礁石最早被系统勘测的部分。21 米等深线以上区域的长度约为550 米（沿长轴西北-东南向），宽度约为250 米（沿短轴西南-东北向）。这构成了21 米以下大部分礁石区域，以及15 米以上几乎所有礁石区域。主礁基本上是一个延伸西北-东南方向的大型山脊，东部有一个较浅的平台，东北部延伸出一个较大的、略深的瓣——Euphrates Rise。它与南部礁石区域之间由一个相对陡峭的、底部为沙质的峡谷——东部沙舌——以及东北坡上散布的大块巨石（向东南方向），西北方向有宽阔的卵石床，中间至少有一块沙地隔开。
普拉托
主礁的高区域，名义上以15 米等深线为界。
Whittle Rock: S34°14.846' E18°33.714'。主礁靠近5 米尖峰处是礁石最浅的部分，有广阔的区域在15 米以下，以及几个在12 米以上的区域，被不同深度和宽度的缝隙和峡谷分隔。主尖峰，以及专门被称为Whittle Rock的特征，是一个巨大的巨石，矗立在主露头上，东面有一个峡谷。第二个尖峰位于西南方向几米处，顶部上升到8 米，这是礁石上第三浅的地方。主尖峰稍偏东处是一个长而深窄的峡谷，向北然后向东延伸。正北和西面是10至15 米深的平台。主礁区以南有一个巨大的锚，平放在高礁石区顶部（Marc's anchor）。正南处有一个小山谷，底部有一个沙地，那里是新导航浮标的混凝土块锚泊系统所在地。
Whittle Rock 西尖峰: S34°14.844' E18°33.682' 位于主尖峰以西约50 米处，深度为7 米，是礁石上第二浅的点。主礁的这个区域包括几个陡峭的、大致平行的山脊和峡谷，大部分呈南北走向，以及一个约18 米深的巨大穿游通道，其中一个巨大的巨石卡在一个大的峡谷顶部。这个巨石的顶部就是西尖峰。其他山脊和峡谷位于更西边。
西北升起
西北升起区中部偏北的松散底部包括大片的小砾石或大卵石，嵌入沙中，沿一个通常非常平坦的礁石区域。在某些地方，如果没有仔细检查，很难区分礁石在哪里结束，卵石区在哪里开始。在其他地方，主要是沙底，散布着卵石和小巨石。
远西北尖峰: S34°14.750' E18°33.482' 主礁的西北部有一个小型陡峭、非常局部的尖峰区域，位于24 米以下的基岩上，伸展至约18 米，再往西北约40 米处，有一个相当大的平顶区域，深度约20 米，四周有陡峭的落差，深至27 米以下，某些地方接近30 米。这个悬崖的北部弯曲环绕着高礁石，西北方向有一个大的悬垂，可能有穿游通道。向西和北方向，相邻的礁石似乎相对平坦，有一些小沙地。东面有一个较小的南北向山脊，北端在约22 米深处有一个高点。该区域整体深度适中，平台区域边缘地形崎岖。在该区域看到并拍摄到了一些异常大的海蛞蝓。截至2022年11月，尚未完全探索，甚至很少有人潜水，但一些熟悉Whittle Rock Reef的潜水员给予了很好的评价。
大教堂尖峰: S34°14.723' E18°33.635', 18 米。一个巨大的巨石，位于一条小山脊的尽头，俯瞰主礁北坡一小片沙地，上面散布着小型巨石。
西北尖峰: S34°14.765' E18°33.622' 在普遍低洼的巨石基岩区域上，有一个小巧、相当陡峭且非常局部的尖峰区域。它位于东部平台和主礁高地西北端之间，靠近北坡顶部。
Euphrates Rise
这是一个相当大的高礁石区域，深度略低于15 米，位于平台区域以北，东面和北面有几个峡谷，东面和北面是沙底。
东北尖峰和Euphrates峡谷区域: S34°14.787' E18°33.790' 主尖峰东北方向，有一个巨大的露头，上升到15 米，两侧陡峭，顶部平坦。在这三个巨型锻铁锚的正北方向，据信来自1810年在此尖峰触礁并沉没的英国东印度公司船只Euphrates号，其中两个位于一个宽阔的、沙底的峡谷中，从西南向东北延伸，在西端深度约为25 米，向东倾斜。第三个锚在同一峡谷的较浅区域，位于岩石底部，距离稍远。据说附近还有另一个类似的锚，但位置不明。第四个锚可能位于升起区域更西边，即报告有“JJ's anchor”和“Billy's anchor”的地方，这些名称可能指的是同一个锚。东北尖峰的东侧沿着巨石的侧面陡峭，但矗立在一个约22 米深的岩石平坦区域顶部，在某些地方有深切的掏空。东北尖峰和主礁东北平台区域之间，地形相对较低，有低矮的山脊和浅峡谷，大部分区域深度约21 米。其中一些峡谷在小区域内有沙底。
碎石簇: S34°14.704' E18°33.763' 在主礁的最东北端，Euphrates Rise 外，有一簇巨大的棱角巨石，被称为“碎石”，它们突入周围的沙地。东南方向沙地的底部深度约为34 米，据报道在该区域附近可达36 米，可能在北侧。最高的尖峰顶部深度约为24 米。碎石在2021年5月的一次勘测潜水中被发现，之前没有迹象表明它们的存在。这是一个在能见度好的情况下壮观的潜点。碎石本身大小和形状都很壮观，并且覆盖着比崎岖程度较低的低洼区域更多样、更丰富多彩的无脊椎动物。六到七块碎石的露出深度小于27 米，约四块露出深度大于25 米，在底部有一个穿游隧道，向东南方向开口。
维克多之链（Victor's chain）是一段约60 米长的重链，位于从Euphrates Rise到The Shards的斜坡顶部。西端连接到一个钢结构上，该结构约1.3 米见方，中央有一个方形凹槽，可能是一个锚固物，它位于比当地礁石高约2 米的一块岩石附近。另一端是自由的。链条在锚固点（S34°14.757' E18°33.692'）的深度约为23 米，在自由端（S34°14.765' E18°33.734'）的深度为20 米。它跨越了几条小峡谷，并被厚厚的藤壶覆盖，因此在低洼的礁石上可能不那么容易被发现。
东南尖峰区域
东南尖峰: S34°14.887' E18°33.775'。东南尖峰是主礁东南端的一个巨大露头，顶部约9 米，东北侧有一个陡峭的断崖，南部有一个更平坦的斜坡，那里有一个长而相当宽的沙质峡谷，深度约30 米，向东倾斜，其中还有一个巨大的铁锚——“Georgina's anchor”——位于峡谷北侧的巨石碎屑上。在峡谷北侧的沙地上，有一个重金属盘，直径略小于一米，末端连接着一段重链，被称为“海王星的塞子”（Neptune's bathplug）。推测这可能是大型导航浮标的残骸，或是一个非常短粗的蘑菇锚。该峡谷有几个穿游通道和缝隙中的小型碎屑洞穴。这个尖峰的东侧陡峭地向下延伸数米，到达一个更深的、高至中等起伏的区域，包括一些巨石，有悬垂和穿游通道，一些较小的峡谷和小的沙地，然后向东进一步变平，在约33 米以下到达沙地边缘。
南礁
[]位于东部沙舌和西北部卵石床西南方向的礁石。
鲸背脊（Whaleback Ridge）：南礁由几个部分组成。最靠近主礁部分大致与其平行，被称为鲸背脊。它有几个下潜点。
鲸背尖峰: S34°14.850' E18°33.508' 是鲸背脊西北端的尖峰群，在山脊东北端约25 米（82 英尺）深处有一个小沙地，西南方向约27 米（89 英尺）处也有一个。
鲸背岩: S34°14.900' E18°33.635', 位于鲸背脊东南端。这是一个紧凑的、顶部钝的尖峰，从19至22 米之间的局部礁石底部上升到约14.5 米（48 英尺）。它位于洞穴复合体东北方向，穿过一块沙地，并且位于桌顶区域西北方向。西北方向的礁石是一个中等起伏的碎裂山脊，东北斜坡上有巨石和碎石。
Wreckless Rock 和小迷宫: S34°14.949' E18°33.707' 位于洞穴复合体东侧，Neptune's Bathplug 西南侧，构成鲸背脊横跨主礁到东部沙舌的长平缓山脊的东南延伸部分。Wreckless Rock 是一个巨大的巨石， perched on the bedrock of a long flattish northwest-southeast ridge parallel to the main reef outcrop。山脊线最高点深度约为15 米（49 英尺）。Wreckless Rock 的北端有一个大的悬垂，几乎触及北面的一个较低山脊。小迷宫（The Little Labyrinth）是长而平缓的礁石东南端的一个紧密簇集，由尖峰、狭窄山脊和峡谷组成，距离Wreckless Rock几米远，但在合理能见度下可以看到。再往东，礁石迅速下降到24 米（79 英尺）以下，南面、东面和北面附近的沙底深度约为30 米（98 英尺）。一个独立的尖峰上升到17 米（56 英尺）深，位于该区域稍北。这是下面的Flash Pinnacle。再往南有一簇较小的尖峰。
Flash Pinnacle: S34°14.931' E18°33.718'. A tall tapering granite pinnacle with a triangular section and small flattish top at about 16 米 (52 英尺). One flattish side, probably to the south. Very steep sided, almost vertical in places. Lower down it splits into several spiky looking shards at the east and south sides, and there are another two large upright parallel slabs to the north, with overhangs to the west, and a nice swim-through under a boulder to the south of the main pinnacle, just below 27 米 (89 英尺). There is sand bottom at about 30 米 to the east and the north, which is the east end of the eastern sand tongue, with more relatively low reef to the south and west, continuous through to the Wreckless Rock area. Named Flash Pinnacle in memory of Grant’s dog Flash.
Caves Complex and Table Top form a broken ridge south of Whaleback Ridge and Wreckless Rock, together they also run roughly northwest–southeast.
Caves Complex reef: S34°14.943' E18°33.616'. This is an area of high profile reef with a couple of ridges extending slightly above 15 米 (49 英尺) northeast of M&M Tower reef across a flattish area about 27 米 deep, roughly northeast of the Gnarly Wall and southwest of the Main Pinnacle area. This section of reef is somewhat chaotic in structure, and has several deep overhangs, and at least one fairly large but tight swim-through under a large corestone ridge.The southern extent of this section is demarcated by a sandy strip running roughly northwest-southeast at about 25 to 30 米 depth. To the northeast there is another small sandy patch at about 25 米 (82 英尺) depth, and a narrow strip of sand in the bottom of a gully to the southeast extending as far as the south side of Table Top pinnacle. The eastern part of this area is flatter, with a low ridge extending towards the Table Top pinnacle. The northeastern entrance to the big swim-through is near the end of a hogsback ridge running northeast–southwest, at about 22 米 (72 英尺) depth. Gully sharks have been seen in the swim-through on several occasions.
Table Top pinnacle: S34°14.968' E18°33.668'. East and a bit south from the Caves Complex. The pinnacle is a massive outcrop with a fairly flat top about 20 米 in diameter at about 14.5 to 15 米 depth. The sides are quite steep all the way round, and there is a deep crack towards the east side that extends to the base of the pinnacle on the north side. The crevice only goes about a third of the way through the pinnacle from the north, but there is a smaller crevice at the south end of the crack. There is a cluster of smaller boulder pinnacles to the north, and beyond those, a sand patch at 25 米 depth. To the east there is a fairly wide gully with a large slab leaning against the main pinnacle forming a swim-through at about 24 米 depth. Further east there is a lower profile large outcrop that reaches above 21 米. To the south is a sand patch at about 28 to 30 米, with an area of tall pinnacles with narrow sand-bottomed crevices and swim-throughs a bit further east. To the southwest is the eastern end of a sand strip extending to the south of the Caves Complex area, and off the west side, a narrow and remarkably straight sand bottomed gully extends to the northwest.
Tower Ridge is another ridge running roughly northwest–southeast, a bit further to the southwest from Whaleback Ridge. The high reef is about 100 米 long from southeast to northwest, and about 30 米 wide, with the M&M Tower roughly in the middle. The eastern section is a massive outcrop with a flattish top and a gnarled cliff face – the Gnarly Wall – on the northeast side, with the Bus-stop overhang to the northwest at about 15 米 depth, and indentations along the face of the wall formed by underground weathering of the granite, later exposed by erosion, and now covered by sea. The south side slopes down relatively smoothly to about 27 米, then low reef with boulders extends to sand at about 30 米, which can be considered the boundary of this reef section. The top of this outcrop is flattish and a bit less than 15 米 deep, with the shallowest point at about 13 米 directly over the overhang. To the northwest it ends at a steep-sided gully running northeast-southwest with a narrow parallel ridge to the northwest, then another parallel gully of similar depth, and the tower ridge and boulder. Further west from the tower there are a few large peaked outcrops separated by gullies of varied depth and direction, in a cluster of similar overall area to the monolithic eastern section of the tower reef, but with a very different character. This can be seen fairly clearly from the map.
M&M Tower (the Spark plug): S34°14.943' E18°33.549' The central pinnacle and shallowest point on Tower Ridge, a section of reef parallel to, and to the southwest of, Whaleback ridge. The tower is also known as the Spark plug for the curved overhang at the top with a boulder just under it. It is a narrow ridge-pinnacle rising from about 24 米 to about 11 米 on top. It is about 50 米 west of the Caves Complex reef area, a group of huge boulders on a bedrock base at about 21 米 depth, southwest of the main reef ridge. The M&M Tower is named for the two divers who found it by chance while diving from the Caves Complex reef area on a day of poor visibility. They ended up ascending at the tower and its position was recorded. This area has been quite extensively surveyed, and the local maximum depth is about 27 米 on a sandy gully bottom on the northeast side, sloping down to sand to the southeast and southwest at 28 to 30 米. It has become quite popular as it is fairly compact and has a lot of variation of topography.
Bus-stop overhang: S34°14.945' E18°33.573', is a feature on the Gnarly Wall, which is the north face of the east end of Tower Ridge. The Bus-stop is a large overhang at the top of the rock face, formed by underground weathering of the granite, later exposed by erosion of the saprolith.
Aoife's Reef patch: a relatively small patch of reef at the north of the large sandy indentation at the south side of the Whittle Rock contiguous reef. It is separated from the main reef by sand on all sides, but the gap is small and the main reef is visible across the sand for much of the east and north sides. The surrounding sand is at about 28 to 31 米, sloping gently down to the south towards Southwestern Pinnacles. The highest point is towards the west side, directly south of the Gullies, and slightly north of west from M&M.
Aoife's Reef: S34°14.914 E18°33.447'. The eastern area of Aoife's Reef is relatively low profile, large, slightly domed rock outcrops rising to about 24m, with a very gentle slope down to the sand at the southeast corner, a low but steep eastern edge, and a small cluster of steep high profile boulders and upright shards in the northeast corner, but the western part is shallower on top and more rugged. There is a long straight gully with a narrow sandy bottom running approximately north-south through the high reef area. To the west of this gully, the reef is relatively high-profile, with large boulders and closely packed steep, pointy-topped outcrops. The western part of the reef is mostly smaller outcrops of moderate profile sticking out of the sand.
Southwestern Pinnacles
[]Southwest of the M&M Tower reefs, and west of the Labyrinth area, across a sandy gap, this cluster of deeper pinnacles and gullies is quite large and is marked at the southeastern end by a tight cluster of pinnacles rising up to between 18 and 24m, separated by crevices and a number of narrow gullies with sandy-bottoms at between 27 and 30 米. The northwest side has not yet been fully surveyed, but it is known that the sand goes all the way round. This section of reef is about 60 米 wide from the southwestern wall to the sand on the northeastern side, and at least 120 米 long on the northwest–southeast axis.
Grant's Spike: S34°14.991' E18°33.450' The tallest of these pinnacles has been called Grant's Spike It is at the eastern end of the reef, and is quite narrow near the top, which is at about 18 米 depth.
Grant's Wall: S34°15.003' E18°33.445', To the south west, the area is bounded by sand at 32 to 36 米, sloping gradually from the west down to the southeast, where there is a short stretch of wall, dropping nearly vertically from the pinnacle tops at around 19 米 to sand at 36 米, along the southern and southeastern edge of the reef.
Mossie's Cave and pinnacle: S34°14.972' E18°33.420'. The position of one deep overhang or cave has been marked at S34°14.972' E18°33.420' as Mossie's Cave. It is at the sand at the bottom of a pinnacle which rises to about 19 米. The position suggests that the depth of the cave is about 27 米, and it is likely to be in a gully.
Labyrinth lobe
[]The southernmost lobe of reef, south of the Tower ridge, across a sand patch, but connected to the contiguous reef to the east.
Labyrinth: S34°15.004' E18°33.580' A compact cluster of ridge pinnacles of similar height rising from about 28 米 on the northern edge of a large lobe of mostly lower reef, to about 15 米 at the shallowest points, separated by deep and fairly narrow gullies, weathered from jointing fractures almost all the way down to the base depth in a crossing pattern. There are a few scattered boulders in the gullies, mostly quite small, and a bit of sand in places. The Labyrinth is bordered by a large patch of sand at the northeastern edge, but with more relatively deep, moderately high-profile reef a short distance to the southeast, south, and west. Spectacular in good visibility, and notable for large numbers of fragile scrolled bryozoan colonies. This patch of reef is about 70 米 south from the east end of the M&M Tower reefs and is separated from it by a large sand patch at about 30 米 depth around the east end of the Gnarly Wall area, which is continuous with the sand patch at the northeast and north of Labyrinth reef, and which continues around the west side of the Sponge Gardens area to the sand bottom surrounding the whole reef.
Labyrinth South Pinnacle, or Sponge Gardens Pinnacle: S34°15.048' E18°33.606' South of the Labyrinth there is a large area within the 27 米 contour called the Sponge Gardens, for the number and variety of colourful sponges near that depth. There are two small groups of pinnacles rising to about 18 米 south of the labyrinth area. Otherwise the area is fairly high profile reef, but also fairly open and quite deep on average. The Sponge Gardens reef connects to the reefs south of Table Top, with an unsurveyed 20 米 pinnacle between them.
Deep South Pinnacles: S34°15.103' E18°33.603' Further south there is another cluster of deep pinnacles, the Deep South Pinnacles, with a shallow point at about 20 米, and an isolated sand patch nearby to the northeast at 26 米.This appears to be the southernmost part of Whittle Rock reef, though there is a deep outlier ridge some distance further south across the sand.
Western reef
[]The western section of the reef is connected to the central part of the southern reef area through a narrow area west of Whaleback Ridge. Parts of it are inside the Table Mountain National Park MPA. The general trend of northwest to southeast ridges appears to continue here, though the area is not surveyed in detail yet.
Northwest Passage: S34°14.650' E18°33.125' Right at the northwestern tip of the Whittle Rock reefs. A fairly substantial outcrop projecting into the surrounding sand. Quite high profile, but mostly quite deep. Maximum depth about 39 米. The area is made up of three main parts: The southwestern is the largest, and comprises a roughly triangular outcrop of relatively flat topped granite, with irregularly spaced weathered cracks intruding into the steep sides. The top of this part of the reef is about 25 米 deep. Across a boulder bottomed gully to the east there is a similarly sized group of ridge outcrops aligned approximately north-south, of various sizes and heights. North of these is a smaller and deeper group of outcrops, on the north-westorn edge of the reef. The flattish topped outcrops are largely encrusted by low sponges, with occasional gorgonians, and feather stars in the steeper parts and cracks. A large number of basket stars have been seen on this part of the reef.
Fractal Zones: S34°14.750' E18°33.200' The far northwest and western side of the reef has a large area of interlocking low reef and sand areas. There are occasional bits of reef in the sand patches and also patches of sand amongst the more broken areas of reef. There is also a significant amount of unsurveyed reef a short distance across the sand from the contiguous reef edge. Most of the deeper sand is relatively fine and white, while shallower areas can be shelly to coarse gravel, pebbles, shingle and small boulders. It can be difficult to identify where unconsolidated sediment ends and boulder slope starts in places, but much of the reef edge is steep and well defined, with steep slopes and moderate to high profile outcrops.
Western Reef Pinnacle S34°14.856' E18°33.269' (inside the MPA)An area of moderate profile reef to the west of the previously surveyed areas, marked by a shallower area at 19 米 depth on top, and local bottom at a bit below 27 米 on sand to the north and west. This area of reef is contiguous with the other areas of the main reef. Partly surveyed, the top of the reef is split by several fairly narrow cracks, and the reef steps down to below 24 米 quite rapidly. It is a pretty area, with large numbers of basket stars, and when visited, there were shoals of hottentot, strepies and panga, several large roman and janbruin, and assorted catsharks. The invertebrate cover is moderately varied. It seems to be a pleasant dive site, deep enough to be relatively unaffected by swell, but lacks any exceptional topography.
Peter's Ridge S34°14.800' E18°33.160' (inside the MPA)A strip of fairly high reef from 22.5 米 on the top of the pinnacle down to about 32 米 on the sand at the southeast end, over deep 39 米 at the northwest end, separated from the main reef by a sandy area to the south and east, and from another, roughly parallel, ridgeby a sandy gully to the north. A narrow low strip of cobbles connects these ridges near the east end. The northern ridge is separated from the main part of the western reef by a short, narrow, sand bottomed gully. Peter's Ridge is reported to be split by a number of deep gullies and cracks, mostly across the width, and most of the perimeter is fairly high profile and steep, with a few moderate to large boulders or outcrops at or near the perimeter. The ridge is 230 米 long from northwest to southeast and about 55 米 wide. It is rated a spectacular dive in good visibility by Wreckless Divers.
Butt Rocks S34°14.850' E18°33.198' A small area of high reef about 100m to the west of Western Reef Pinnacles, across a narrow sand tonge at about 32 米, and inside the MPA.This is a small area area of reef rising to about 18 米(?) from the surface, which is mostly moderately high profile, with a large outcrop with a narrow cleft near the northwestern edge of the sandy area south of Peter's Ridge. Maximum known depth at the sand tongue edge is about 32 米, to the west. The pinnacles ere distinctive: the southern has a relatively conical top, ant the northern has a generally lower flatter form with quite a narrow peak ridge alongside the cleft. The surrounding reef is lower but still fairly high profile. To the north are a cluster of steep outcrops projecting into the bordering sand, and to the south there are a few relatively low parallel ridges, which run north to south and end at a small sand patch. The reef further west is lower and quite broken. Found during high resolution multibeam survey in early 2025 from Wreckless II. Reef life is typical for the area, but quite a lot of fish seen in July and August, including red steenbras, bank steerbras, roman, janbruin and shoals of juvenile windtoy and strepies.
Bruce's Reef, Stingray central or Stingray HQ S34°14.832' E18°33.324' (raised area of reef to the west, inside the MPA)About 100 米 to the northeast of the Western Reef pinnacles there is an area of reef rising to a few pinnacles about 15 米 from the surface, which is mostly moderately high profile in places, with some large low profile areas and a few high profile pinnacles, ridges and gullies to the north. The high point is reported to be 15 米 deep.Maximum known depth at the sand edge is about 30 米, to the west.There are quite a number of large gorgonian sea fans, and plenty of the usual sponges. There are two small 19 米 pinnacles on opposite sides of a narrow gully cutting across the west end of the rise a short distance northwest of the high point. On the second dive several large stingrays and a number of basket stars were seen. Also another anchor – Mike and Monty's anchor – leaning against a low wall at about 25 米 depth. It has been photographed, but the position is not known.
Gullies S34°14.872' E18°33.454' (just outside the MPA)A short distance southwest of Whaleback Pinnacles, across am area of sandy patches, Gullies is a group of north-south aligned ridges, the shallowest of which is just above 18 米 on top, separated by deep gullies, some with sandy bottoms with a maximum depth of about 31 米, extending to the large sandy indentation on the south side of the reef. The top of the ridges is mainly covered by strawberry anemones and elegant feather stars, with scattered sea fans, sponges and small red seaweeds.
Far Southwest Pinnacle: S34°14.881' E18°33.241' (inside the MPA)A bit south of the Western Reef Pinnacle. A moderate area above 27 米, with a large flattish topped pinnacle rising to 22 米, and several small sand patches around it at about 30 米. Black mussels along the edges of the top. Martin's swim-through is on the west side of the pinnacle a bit below the 27 米 contour.
East Ridge
[]The East Ridge at Whittle Rock is a fairly large area of reef to the east of a sandy area 25 to 60 米 wide to the east of the main reef. The sand along the east edge of the main reef slopes down to the south from about 30 米 near the Euphrates anchors, to about 36 米 off the Southeast Pinnacle. East Ridge was first dived in September 2020 by Wreckless Divers and reported as a long north-south ridge found by sonar, which appears to be in the order of 300 米 long north to south, and about 100 米 east to west. The East Ridge is not directly connected to the main reef above the sand, but is visible across the sand in places.
East Ridge North Pinnacle: S34°14.742' E18°33.843' is a massive outcrop about 63 米 long northwest to southeast, and 45 米 wide at 27 米 depth. The high point is at about 20 米 depth on a flattish top interrupted by parallel gullies breaking it up into four large ridges. The sand at the bottom of the near-vertical northwest wall is at about 36 米 (118 英尺), dropping to about 40 米 (130 英尺) on the east side.
Criss-cross Cracks: S34°14.830' E18°33.879' The Criss-cross cracks area is a high flattish topped area at the south of the East Ridge, with the shallow point at about 21 米 split by several relatively narrow and moderately deep cracks. The top of the reef is dominated by elegant feather stars and scattered gorgonian sea fans, with sponges becoming more common at the 27 米 contour. Sand bottom in the wider gullies appears to start at about 30 米, but in the smaller gullies can be as shallow as 27 米. The lower profile East Ridge Central area between Criss-cross Cracks and the East Ridge North Pinnacle is deeper, with a high point at 26 米, sloping down to about 40 米 at the sand edge to the east. The gap between the southern part of the ridge and the northern part is fairly narrow, averaging around 7 米. East Ridge central area is yet to be surveyed in detail.
Outliers
[]There are a few areas of reef that are known to lie a fairly short distance from the contiguous reef, but most have either not been surveyed, only been surveyed in a few places, or are only known from fish-finder sonar records.
Ultima Thule: S34°14.645' E18°33.026' This is the farthest northwest reef that is still considered part of Whittle Rock reef. It is about 50 米 away from the edge of Northwest Passage, across a sand gap. The area is quite compact, but relatively deep. Top of the reef is about 3 1米 deep, and the surrounding sand is at about 39 米. The high reef is concentrated at the east side, with a few low, flattish outcrops further west. It is well within the MPA, and large shoals of juvenile windtoy have been seen in late winter. The invertebrate cover includes a relatively high density of basket stars, a few white cauliflower soft corals, some gorgonian fans, deep-water urchins and a variety of encrusting and upstanding massive and branched sponges.
路线
[]Most of the sites are a bit deep for entry level divers, though the area above 18 米 on the main reef is large enough for several visits. There are not many established routes, and some of the sites have only been dived a few times. Depending on the service provider there may be a dive guide to follow, but other boats may just let the divers do their own thing, with a time limit to be back at the surface (usually 45 minutes to an hour, ask when you book.}
- 15 米 contour: A swim around the 15 米 contour is a good option for a long dive with lots of scenic views if the visibility is good, and some excursions to the pinnacles. Few divers will make it the whole way around the 15 米 contour on a single dive. Start at the main pinnacle if conditions allow, visit the anchor to the south, pass the 8 米 pinnacle and descend to 15 米, then swim with the reef to your right to find the big gully swimthrough and pinnacle. Continue along the contour until you need to surface.
A route starting at the swimthrough at the Cave Complex then across the sand strip to the Bus Stop, along the Gnarly Wall to the first gully to the south west side, then around the ridge end to the Spark Plug gap at M&M Tower is a pleasant and scenic swim in good conditions. There is a large variation in topography along this route, and the depth is deep enough to be out of the worst of the surge, but shallow enough to get in a good long dive if well insulated and using a large cylinder of nitrox. Most of the dive will be between 18 and 24 米, with the deepest point at about 27 米 in the sandy gully, and some reef above 15 米 at the end.
- Bruce's Route: Drop in at the mark for the caves complex. Swim around to the eastern cave entrance and swim through the caves. Look out for gully sharks. They will be less likely to startle and swim away if you avoid shining strong lights at them. Take a right turn inside the cave to the north exit, then swim magnetic west to the sandy strip, and cross it to the Gnarly Wall. Turn right and follow the wall to the Bus Stop overhang, then continue northwest along the wall, past the first two gullies and ridges to the third gully which is wider, and has the Spark Plug pinnacle at the top of the third ridge. If you still have time and gas to spare, explore the reef to the northwest of this area before surfacing.
If there is a lot of surge in the shallows, which is common in a long period swell even when the swell is quite low, the deeper areas will be more comfortable and possibly safer. The reef life also varies with depth and topography, and to get a good idea of what all can be found it is necessary to explore a reasonably large range of depths. Visibility and water temperature are somewhat unpredictable, and can differ from the inshore dive sites. There may be a thermocline, and visibilty at the bottom can differ quite a bit from nearer the surface. Even at 3 to 4 米 visibility it can be a good dive.
- Southwestern pinnacles and Mossie's Cave: This is a spectacularly scenic area at a greater average depth, with a maximum around 36 米, and most of the dive below 21 米. The area has several tall pinnacles with sand-bottomed gullies between them, which are comfortably wide enough to swim along at the depth of your choice, and some deep overhangs and swimthroughs in the northeastern part. Grant's Spike is the highest pinnacle, and a good place to start. Descend across the top of the pinnacles and over the edge to the south, then swim round the wall with the reef to your right until you get to the gullies. The wall at the southwest edge of the reef is the highest near-vertical drop known at Whittle, and drops from about 18 米 (59 英尺) on top to 36 米 (118 英尺) on the sand over about 5 米 (16 英尺) horizontal distance. Continue by exploring the gullies at the depth of your choice.
- Shards to the main pinnacle: Quite a long dive, so expect some decompresion. Start at the Shards to the northeast, then swim southwest up the slope to the plateau. You should cross Victor's Chain and possibly pass near an anchor before reaching the 12 米 (39 英尺) area.
Unexplored areas of interest
[]There are still many areas on the list of places to be mapped, and most of the contours at and below 27 米 have not been completed. The full extent of the main reef is known from sonar surveys, and most of the contiguous perimeter has been mapped.
There is also more reef in the western parts in the area marked "Fractal zones", some of which is visible across the sand from the main reef perimeter.
看
[]You could return to Whittle Rock every weekend for a year and not see it all. It is big, with a huge variety of topography and large depth range, and is highly rated by local divers who have actually dived there often enough to develop a reliable opinion.
海洋生物
[]Much depends on which part of the reef you dive. There are a wide variety of invertebrates and quite a variety of fish seen in the vicinity, including occasional shoals of pelagic Yellowtail. This is a popular fishing area and unfortunately there has been noticeable damage to the reef by anchors in the shallower parts.
The ecology of the reef is zonated by depth and by profile. Areas with similar depth, slope, orientation and protection tend to be occupied by a similar group of organisms, but there are a large range of combinations of these factors.
The shallowest parts are dominated by large red-bait pods on the upper surfaces. Deeper areas have more sea fans and scrolled false corals, and below 20 米 there are more sponges. Near-vertical walls may be covered by huge numbers of elegant feather stars, and basket stars are relatively common. Some days there are shoals of fish, which may follow divers around, while on other days hardly any can be seen, and those that are seen are skittish and keep well away. This may be a function of water temperature, illumination, and visibility. Spotted gully sharks have often been seen in the swim-throughs at the Caves Complex, and large short-tailed stingrays have been seen cruising the gullies. As is usual, there tends to be more diversity in areas of high rugosity and high profile, and on steeper slopes and under overhangs. Seals may be seen, but are not usually present in large numbers. Large schools of common dolphin have occasionally been recorded.
The fish life tends to vary a bit with the seasons, and at times large numbers of juveniles form shoals over the reef. There is not much kelp compared to inshore reefs.
- Marine life seen at Whittle Rock reefs
Decorator crab on a sea fan
马鱼
Janbruin
Violet spotted anemone
Sunfish at Table Top pinnacle
设施
[]The main features of the Whittle Rock area are the varied and often spectacular granite formations. but there are a few artifacts worth a look if you pass them: There are several large anchors. The approximate positions are known for fifteen of them, and shown on the map. The positions of some are known with more precision. An asterisk indicates positions with unknown accuracy.
- Kelly's Anchor 一个大型无横杆的铁锚，在 32 米深处，位于主礁的北部，在巨石和沙地上，坐标为 S34°14.687' E18°33.612'。
- Riaan and Sven's anchor* 在主礁上，据说在标记以东约 20 米处，深度 18 米，大致在 S34°14.736', E18°33.592'，被描述为异常大。
- Victor's chain 在 The Shards 和 Euphrates rise 之间的东北斜坡上，一条重链，长度在 20 至 23 米之间。链条大致呈东西走向，跨越几个小沟渠，一端有一个大的、重的方形钢板，中央有一个凹陷，位于 S34°14.757' E18°33.692'。长度估计约为 57 米。这可能是标记岩石的浮标之一的系泊处。链条上覆盖着厚厚的附着物，在某些地方可能不易被发现。
- September anchor 一个大铁锚，在 15 米深处，大致在 S34°14.767', E18°33.575'，位于主礁的西北脊上。
- JJ's anchor* 一个带铁横杆的大锚，在 17 米深处，位于 Euphrates Rise，估计位置为 S34°14.781', E18°33.721'。
- Billy's anchor* 一个大型锚，“很像 *Euphtrates* 锚”，位于 Euphrates Rise，估计位置为 S34°14.777', E18°33.734'，深度 19 米。这离 JJ's anchor 很近，所以可能是同一个锚，但距离足够远，存在疑问。需要更准确的测量和照片。
- 三个大的铁锚，带铁横杆，据信来自 1810 年在此尖顶触礁沉没的英国东印度公司船 *Euphrates*。所有三个都在 Euphrates Gully，Euphrates Rise，在东方尖顶的北边，地图上已标出。据报道，还有一个来自 *Euphrates* 的锚，来自此地点附近，但位置未知。所有锚的深度都在 24 至 28 米之间。如果船没有真的沉没，这些锚可能不是来自 Euphrates，正如 2024 年的进一步研究所建议的，但有老潜水员说他们在礁石上的某个地方看到过铜包壳，这至少会是木船触礁的证据。
- Euphrates anchor (west): S34°14.783' E18°33.790'，在约 24 米深处，在岩石底部。
- Euphrates anchor (central): S34°14.783' E18°33.795'，在约 25 米深处，在沙地上。
- Euphrates anchor (east): S34°14.776' E18°33.801'，在约 25 米深处，在沙地上。
- Little anchor 一个较小的铁锚，在主礁上，在 18 米深处，位于 S34°14.785', E18°33.666'。
- Marc's anchor* 一个没有横杆的铁锚，平放在主礁的平坦岩石上，在 14.5 米深处，位于 S34°14.856', E18°33.716'，靠近 5 米尖顶，并被附着生长很好地伪装起来。它可能没有铁或钢的横杆，否则就不会平放，所以可能是一个较老的锚，曾经有一个木制横杆。
- Bruce's anchor: S34°14.884' E18°33.687'，一个小型钢锚，牢固地卡在 Eastern Sand Tongue 北侧的一块巨石之间的一个小空间里，深度约 24 米。除非游到它正上方，否则很难看到。非常靠近沙地边缘。
- South east pinnacle chain (Neptune's bath plug): S34°14.917' E18°33.753'，一个沉重、略微凹陷的金属圆盘，直径不到一米，中央有一个耳环，连接着一长串重链，被称为 Neptune's Bathplug，位于大 Eastern Sand Tongue 北侧的沙地上。链条的大部分堆积在圆盘附近，这表明圆盘在该点沉没时，链条已经垂直向下。圆盘尺寸相对于链条来说太小，形状也不适合作为锚，但可能是一个大型导航浮标的加固板。
- Georgina's anchor 一个大的铁锚，在东南尖顶南坡底部，来源不明，深度 29 米，位于 S34°14.935' E18°33.784'。
- Table Top anchor 一个小锚，位于 Table Top 尖顶西南侧底部，靠近沙带，深度约 26 米，位于 S34°14.971', E18°33.653'。
另外有两个锚被报告过。其中一个据说靠近 2020 年记录的三个 *Euphrates* 锚，深度在 27 至 30 米之间，也被认为是来自 *Euphrates*。另一个在 Stingray HQ 的某个地方，可能在约 25 米（82 英尺）深。
- 一些锚
在 Kelly's anchor 的 Wreckless divers
Kelly's anchor 在最北边
据信来自 *Euphrates* 沉船的锚
Bruce's anchor
"Neptune's bathplug"
连接到 "Neptune's bathplug" 的重链堆
Georgina's anchor 在 Eastern Pinnacle 附近
摄影
[]这是一个很好的摄影地点。微距摄影是稳妥的选择，因为总会有适合近距离拍摄的主体。如果能见度好，有时可达 20 米以上，那么广角风景照也是一个选择。良好的能见度和良好的自然光同时出现相对不常见，所以广角更好，因为你可以更靠近大型地貌。大部分地形上更有趣的礁石都足够深，大部分时间光照不足。
注意安全
[]危险
[]可能水温很冷。强风可能在短时间内出现，尤其是在夏季。该区域曾见过大白鲨。偶尔会出现由于雾、雨或喷雾造成的糟糕水面能见度，如果存在表层水流，潜水员在上升过程中可能会漂得很远，导致船只难以找到他们。雾气会使船只在潜水员浮出水面后难以找到他们，但通常雾气伴随着无风，因此声音会很好地传播。哨子或偶尔的大声喊叫声可以帮助确定潜水员的方向，但可能需要偶尔关闭引擎来聆听。出海航程很长，可能会颠簸且潮湿。冬季返回的航程似乎更长，尤其是在西北风中，风寒对于穿着湿衣的寒冷潜水员来说可能是一个问题。有时该区域会有大量小型捕鱼船只，其中一些船长并不太注意他们的航向。
技能
[]礁石的大部分区域相当深，超出了新手潜水员的范围，但也有广阔的较浅区域。建议使用 DSMB（潜水员信号浮力袋），因为这有助于船员在潜水后看到你，并在你上升时警告渔船你的存在。
装备
[]
灯在深水区域和任何深裂缝、悬垂和其他黑暗区域都有帮助，以补偿色彩的损失。如果在水面附近有藻华，即使在阳光明媚的日子，深水也会非常黑暗。指南针主要用于朝计划点航行，例如在潜水结束时朝较浅区域航行。SMB（潜水员信号浮力袋）有助于船只跟踪你的位置，或在你上升时找到你。强烈建议使用 DSMB，一些船长可能要求每个潜水小组携带至少一个 DSMB，并要求所有潜水员在标记物上上升，因为在前往接载另一人的途中撞到正在上升的潜水员会很尴尬，被船撞击可能会毁掉你的一天。一个个人定位发射信标，可以将 GPS 位置发送给附近所有启用的 VHF 无线电，在紧急情况下可以提高快速被找到的机会。高氧氮气（Nitrox）通常有助于延长免减压潜水时间，因为 Whittle 的大多数潜水都相当深。水温可能偏低，因此也建议做好保暖措施。建议冬季穿着湿衣的潜水员携带某种防风夹克。即使是一个未使用的、可以头伸出来的塑料垃圾袋，在潮湿多风的日子里也能大大提高舒适度。如果你想单独潜水或使用循环呼吸器，请在预订前询问，并且你将被要求提供能力证明，并拥有合适的设备，通常包括一个备用气瓶。
阅读
[]- Diving the Cape Peninsula and False Bay#阅读 – 关于开普敦水域生态和开普敦半岛地质的参考书列表。
- Whittle Rock 在维基百科
附近
[]
False Bay 的其他近海潜水点
- GB Reef
- SATS General Botha
- Off-Whittle Ridge
- Bruce's Mark
- Western Deep
- Midway Ridge
- Sandy-top Ridge
- Billy's Reef
- Josh's Reef
- Wreckless Ridge
- Southwood's Corner
- Lonehill Reef
- Deep South Whittle Reef
返回 按字母顺序排列的景点列表，或 Whittle Rock 及周边地区近海礁石潜水点列表
其他区域潜水点
