Diving the Cape Peninsula and False Bay/King Emperor

The dive site King Emperor is an offshore recent wreck in Table Bay, near Cape Town in the Western Cape province of South Africa.

The site is the wreck of a steel steam trawler in reasonably good structural condition. The vessel was built by the Dundee Shipbuilding Company, in Scotland in 1914 for the Imperial Fishing Company. It served as a minelayer and minesweeper in the First World War, and did similar service in WW II. Eventually it was sold to East Fisheries in Cape Town. In July 1948 it was damaged in heavy seas near Duiker Point and foundered in Table Bay while attempting to return to harbour with no loss of life.

-33.88778318.3658171 King Emperor: S33°53.267' E018°21.949', 3.5 km NW from Green Point lighthouse This site is in a Marine Protected Area (2019). A permit is required.

The name "King Emperor" is the name of the vessel wrecked at the site.

Maximum depth is about 43 m. and the shallowest point is about 38 m. (Average depth of a dive is likely to be about 41 m.)

Visibility can be good, and natural illumination adequate, but this is generally unpredictable, although it is more likely immediately after strong southeasterly winds'

The wreck lies upright on a rocky bottom with the centreline at 85°T. It is 39 m long, 7 m wide, and about 5 high. The Scotch boiler and triple expansion steam engine are still in place.

The site is exposed to wind and seas from the southwest and northwest, so should be dived after southeasterly winds, and is more likely to be good in summer.

Access is only by boat, usually from the V&A Waterfront, or the Offshore Powerboat Club at Granger Bay.

Cold water. Nitrogen narcosis. Decompression sickness, Breathing gas emergencies. Sea and wind conditions changing during a dive. The site is in the approaches to a mojor international port, and ship traffic may be expected.

Competence in planning and performing technical dives to depths beyond the range of most recreational diving. Skill in the use of appropriate equipment and gases for the planned dive. Dives on this site will be decompression dives

• Bruce Henderson and Kelly Graham, 2024, Wood, Iron and Steel: Shipwrecks Mapped off the Western Cape', Wreckless Marine, Cape Town. ISBN 978-1-037-00702-6 (high resolution sonar images)

• -33.83353318.3447671 MV Afrikaner
• -33.83518.3816672 SS Hypatia
• -33.835218.3809673 Whale Rock
• -33.8398618.385564 MV Daeyang Family
• -33.86273318.2694335 T.S. McEwan (Smoky Sue)
• -33.86918318.4863836 MV Winton
• -33.873318.316357 Disa
• -33.873118.3249178 Mooivlei
• -33.87473318.3454839 Blomvlei
• -33.8818318.33858310 MV Gemsbok
• -33.88596718.430511 Highfields
• -33.88713318.409712 SS Cape Matapan
• -33.89666718.39666713 SS SA Seafarer
• -33.897518.409514 RMS Athens
• -33.90793318.417915 Two Oceans Aquarium
• -33.90618.397516 Three Anchor Bay
• -33.91508318.35701717 Sea Point Ridge Pinnacles

Back to the Alphabetical list of sites, or list of dive sites in Table Bay and approaches

Other regional dive sites:

• Dive sites of the Cape Peninsula west coast
• Dive sites of the Cape Peninsula east coast
• Dive sites of False Bay offshore and approaches
• Dive sites of False Bay east coast
• Fresh water dive sites of the Cape Town Metropolitan Area