Diving in Tanzania is a magical experience. Crystal clear tropical water, un spoilt corals, shoals of fish darting through the reefs, sea turtles gliding through the water, school of barracudas circling overhead. Tanzania has something to offer divers of all abilities. The dive sites in Dar es Salaam, Mtwarw, Mikindani, Zanzibar, Pemba and Mafia rival those found in the red sea and deserve to place Tanzania on the map as a diving destination. There are 25 PADI dive centres throughout the country, with skilled instructors and dive masters and world class equipment and a number of liveabroads offering trips to Mafia, Pemba and Zanzibar. In case of any accidents, there is a fully operational decompression chamber in Zanzibar, which opened in 2006.
Whether you are a novice or an experienced diver, Tanzania has some thing for every one, from the small wonders of colourful nudibranches to giant groupers, sharks and Napoleone Wrasse. The best diving is generally between October and February , when visibility can up to 30 metres.
Zanzibar is home to world famous Mnemba atoll, a protected marine park with some of the best diving in east Africa. Hawksbill and green turtles rest on top of plate corals, oblivious to to hovering divers snapping pictures. Lion fish hide beneath the reef, Moorish idols dart through the corals and clown fish dance possessively around anemones. Turn to the sky and watch hundreds of fish, schooling and circling the water, yellow snappers a vivid contrast to the blue of the water. It’s not uncommon to see white Tip Reef sharks and divers are sometimes lucky enough to a pod of dolphins as an escort on the way back to the dive centre or catch a glimpse of humpback whales with their calves.
Pemba is a treasure trove of marine life, better suited to experienced divers due to strong currents, making some dives drift dives. Pemba’s corals are pristine. Misali island, once a hide out of captain Kidd is now a marine conservation area rich in biodiversity, with over 40 different species of fish and 5 different species of sea turtles. Out on the reefs, black snappers school around corar mountain, eagle rays and manta rays glide through the water with deadly grace, while lobsters and octopus peer out at inquisitive divers from coral shelves. Green turtles perch on cabbage coral and hammerhead sharks have been seen coming in with tide.