Ammunition Barges

The ammunition barges that rest on the floor of False Bay near Simonstown occupy a unique position in the South African dive catalog — not ships, not military vessels in the traditional sense, but the working infrastructure of a naval port in wartime, the utilitarian craft that moved the ordnance that ships required. These barges were scuttled when their working lives ended, their bulk and ballast making the seabed the practical disposal option for decommissioned harbor craft whose upkeep was no longer worthwhile. In becoming an artificial reef, they have gained a second life that their original utilitarian purpose gives no hint of. Positioned in the waters near Simonstown at coordinates that place them in the area of the Cape Peninsula's southern coast, the Ammunition Barges are advanced-rated dive sites reflecting the conditions that prevail in this section of water — cold, variable, with the surge and current patterns that Cape diving conditions consistently impose on sites near exposed sections of coast. The specific depth and character of the barges' resting position contribute to the advanced rating, and divers who approach these wrecks should be comfortable with the environmental conditions typical of Cape Peninsula open-water sites. As artificial reefs, the Ammunition Barges have had sufficient time to develop the marine community that any solid structure submerged in Cape cold water attracts. The cold, nutrient-rich Benguela-influenced water of False Bay supports exceptional biological productivity, and the horizontal surfaces, enclosed spaces, and complex structure of the barges provide multiple habitat types that different organisms exploit. Encrusting sponges colonize the hull surfaces. Mussels cluster on exposed horizontal areas. The crevices and enclosed spaces of the barges' structure provide territory for resident fish and the invertebrates that prefer sheltered conditions. The artificial reef effect at the barges concentrates fish in what was previously more featureless seabed. Cape reef fish that would otherwise be distributed across a wider area are drawn to the concentrated habitat that the barges provide, and the schooling species that aggregate over artificial structures can be present in impressive numbers. Octopus are invariably present — these intelligent predators find the complex three-dimensional terrain of a wreck an ideal hunting ground. Occasional seven-gill cow sharks range through the site, using the barge structures as a reference in their territorial patrols of the False Bay reef system. For advanced divers interested in the specific history of the Simonstown naval station and the artifacts of its working life that remain on the seabed, the Ammunition Barges provide a tangible connection to the operational reality of a military harbor — not glamorous history but the practical, working history of a naval base that served through multiple conflicts across the twentieth century.