Sea gazing from the top of Gericke’s Point Lion Rock.
Located west of Sedgefield in the Garden Route, this mini peninsula of fossilized dune has eroded to resemble a sphix or lion when viewed from the Swartvlei beach parking lot to the northeast.
Looking west, the rock pools are a shimmering azure in the rock shelf. Snorkeling and free diving.
Skirted by a flat shelf punctuated with a ribbon of rock pools, it is a snorkeling paradise at low tide, especially on a hot summers day. Requiring only a mask and water proof sandals, hopping into each rock pool, there is an abundance of intertidal marine life to captivate you till way after the tide had turned.
There is a phenomenal diversity of temperate marine life in the rock pools. 
The rock pools are shallow and easily accessible. The pools on the western side have less marine plants but are endowed with submerged shelves teaming with galleries of soft corals, sponges, sea urchins and star fish.
Moving anti clockwise, the pools sport more sea plants till you begin to reach the eastern section, where mollusks dominate.
Birding.
Twitchers are also in for a treat with a breeding colony of Kelp Gulls nesting on the apex and cliffs of the peninsula, Black Oystercatchers, feeding from the muscle beds, Sandwich Terns roosting just out of reach of the big waves while Cape and White-breasted Cormorants sun themselves between swims.
Marine Mammals.
In summer, a patient gaze at the ocean will be rewarded with a sighting of the resident Indo-Pacific Humpback Dolohins.
Easy to cross at low tide, the channel between the beach and Gericke’s Point can be challenging at high tide. When visiting Gericke’s Point always consult a tide table as the channel between the beach and the point fills up with a strong current at high tide which can be difficult to cross for some.
Learning about the Marine life in the intertidal zone with Mark from Garden Route Trail. Guided Tours.
To learn about the Marine life in the rock pools there are two guided options, a Moonlight Meander, exploring the rock pools at night by torchlight, and day walks with Garden Route Trail.
Research.
The Strandloper Project conducts research dives to study ghost fishing, reef damage and entanglements caused by recreational snagged fishing tackle.
Garden Route Trail 