#NoSugarAdded: Clarity, not Cabernet – Finding calm beneath the surface at Umdloti Tidal Pool

The recent hot spell, coinciding with crystal-clear, balmy seas, small swell, little wind and spring tides, provided a rare opportunity for a tropical fish like me to go snorkelling without a wetsuit.

With Neptune being a little snoep on the waves, offering little more than ankle-slappers, I’d missed out on my daily dose of vitamin sea one too many times. The angst was real. I had been working like a Trojan and needed to find some solace, for my sanity and for the safety of everyone around me.

It was far too early for wine, but the viz had been unreal, so I hopped on my scooter and headed down to the Umdloti tidal pool. I generally prefer open-ocean snorkels in deeper water, but for some reason have been feeling a little exposed out there of late. The safety of the tidal pool would have to suffice. What a pleasant surprise, the relief was instant.

Wrapped in underwater silence, the magic cradled in shallow undersea nooks and crannies unfolded one fin stroke at a time. In perfect synchronicity, my mind gradually quietened, the clutter vanished into thin air, and thoughts became clear, with fresh ideas and perspective coming to the fore. Balance was systematically being restored.

The tidal pool on the north side of Umdloti is, in my opinion, one of the most underrated snorkelling spots on the North Coast. It’s especially aquarium-like on a calm spring low morning, when all the fish are concentrated in the coves at the back of the pool.

I marvelled at the huge variety of species hugging the rocks, sprinkling the reef with vibrant colour pops, while others found safety in numbers as they slowly moved through open water in unison, seemingly unperturbed by my presence.

Staying still in one place, a mind-blowing number of tiny sea creatures started to reveal themselves on the reef, as if appearing out of thin air. But then I realised they have always been there, I just needed to slow down and pay attention.

Understanding that this confluence of warm water, warm weather and calm seas is a rare seasonal phenomenon, I repeated this ritual three days in a row. In the process, I discovered not only an unsung source of marine wonder, but that clarity is sometimes found a metre underwater rather than at the bottom of a wine glass.

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