The Beauty of Scuba Diving
Umkomaas is found along the coast of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. It was originally a harbour town because of its location at the tip of the Mkhomazi River. The Mkhomazi River is a large, wide river that can be used to navigate ships. From the standpoint of the Umkomas harbor, it’s massive but gentle enough for canoeing or rafting in certain parts. In fact many residents and visitors to Umkomaas, enjoy the occasional water sport in the Mkhomazi River.
The main product that was needed to be brought into South Africa in the 1860s was sugar and Umkomaas was the designated spot. However, when dredging of Durban’s sandbar was successfully completed and the railway network established, the Umkomaas Harbour ceased to be used and fell into disrepair.
The Whales of Umkomaas
The local name of Umkomaas is uMkhomazi and translated, it means “the place of cow whales.” Long ago, the Mkhomazi River was the place whales would go to relax and give birth. According to a favourite legend, King Shaka gave the name Umkomaas after he witnessed the birthing of one whale. If one is lucky, it is possible to spot a humpback whale during winter in the area. There are many signs and photos of whales or whale-related images around the town. Many divers have called this town “Whale” instead of Umkomaas because the whale is the official town animal.
Wrecks and Umkomaas Adventure Village
One of the fun places in Umkomaas to which locals enjoy bringing their guests and recommending to visitors is the Umkomaas Adventure Village or the different wrecks dives around the Nebo area. A shipwreck is an amazing sight because of the eels that use it as their home. Some wrecks go back 127 years while others are as recent as 1974. Locals like to take a shark cage beneath the water to view the wrecks as there is almost always an aspect of marine life worth seeing.
Umkomaas has been termed an Adventure Village because of the numerous leisure activities that have include an element of thrills associated with extreme sports. One can go on a diving expedition, kayaking, or play sports. Aside from the adventure options, Umkomaas residents have put up a beauty salon, pub, curio/souvenir shop and restaurant.
Aliwal Shoal
Aliwal Shoal is about 4 kilometres off Umkomas and it’s a world class dive site that got its name from the Aliwal barque that got shipwrecked in 1849. The shoal is 1.5 kilometres long and 1 kilometre wide. It has an abundance of sand dunes that have fossilized, corals, and a breath-taking bevy of sea creatures. One can even go shark hunting (without the killing part) since the shoal is also home to Rock Cod, a species of ragged tooth sharks.
Sugar Baby in Umkomaas
From the world of internet dating, a very popular website known as seekingarrangement.com has been launched with its base as Umkomaas in South Africa. The website is beautifully presented with sugar babies or the beautiful women from Umkomaas as its main attraction. It does capitalize on emotional needs to find a soul mate or life partner with a woman who is well-educated and refined. With the high standards in education found in Umkomaas, the website is able to link two people together who both hope for a lasting relationship based on mutual respect.
Shopping
If shopping is one of your preferred past-times, then bear in mind that Umkomaas has many quality shops where you can, for example, buy a watch that perfectly suits the dress you plan to wear at a glamorous event. This might take place at the Umkomaas Country Club, or at any other of the venues that show off Umkomaas’s more refined side…