The Grahamstown High Court in Makhanda has barred Shell from proceeding with its seismic blasting off the Wild Coast of the Eastern Cape.
Judge Gerald Bloem ruled on Tuesday that Shell must halt its activities until a second part of an interdict is heard.
Several Wild Coast communities had lodged an urgent interdict against Shell's exploration and were joined by two civil society organisations working in the area.
Judge Bloem agreed that expert evidence had established that the seismic surveying posed a real threat to marine life in the area.
He also found that Shell had not adequately notified the local communities of its planned exploration and that its consultation process with affected communities was substantially flawed.
The court ordered Shell and Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe to pay the applicant's legal costs.
A court will now need to determine whether or not Shell requires an environmental authorisation obtained under NEMA, when part B of the application is dealt with at a date yet to be determined.
