East Africa Diving Safari - Dive Sites

Depth:
16 - 35+ metres.

Experience level:
Experienced divers.

Site info:
A MUST DO dive for keen divers!  The Big Wall is on the east side of Mnemba Atoll, and is the start of the Pemba Channel.  There is a rapid descent down to 30m, and a vertical wall with many overhangs and small caves to explore.  The wall drops to well over 60m.

Animals:
Seasonal sightings of magnificent whale sharks. Many large pelagics including reef sharks, rays, schools of rainbow runner, bluefin trevally, tuna and sometimes dolphinfish.

Conditions:
Dived when tides are favourable and waters calm.

Depth:
18 - 35+ metres.

Experience level:
Experienced divers.

Site info:
Spectacular dive and one of the best reefs off Zanzibar island.  Leven Bank is a pinnacle in the middle of Pemba channel topped with coral and sandy patches.  The Walls drip down to over 160m.

Animals:
An enormous variety of coral including honeycomb and pillar coral, home to huge honeycomb moray eels and colour nudibranches. 

Open ocean animals such as whale sharks, manta rays and sharks are attracted to the pinnacle.  Other attractions include guitarfish, and barracuda, and dolphins are often seen playing in this area.

Conditions:
Often in strong currents in the Pemba Channel, therefore usually great visibility, but only dived on certain tides.

Depth:
12 - 22 metres.

Experience level:
Novice to experienced.

Site info:
Lots to see on this relatively easy dive, with a gentle current that makes it ideal for a drift dive.  The sloping sand seabed has very large patches of predominantly plate coral.

Animals:
TURTLE CITY! A favourite haunt for many green turtles. 

A great site for lots of small reef fish, regal angelfish, blue spotted rays, eels, black snapper, red tooth triggers, marbled groupers and the obligatory cleaner wrasse!  Flounders and soles are buried on their sides in the sand bottom.

Bottlenose, common and spinner dolphins also frequent this area.

Conditions:
Gentle current.

Depth:
5 - 30 metres.

Experience level:
Novice to experienced.

Site info:
This is a wall dive with several caves to explore.  A variety of coral types occurs here.

Animals:
Lion fish, snappers, big bass and leaf fish; occasionally, big game fish and dolphins are sighted; in September, humpback whales are sometimes seen at the surface.  The top reef is suitable for snorkelling.

Depth:
8 - 18 metres.

Experience level:
Novice to experienced.

Site info:
A great coral reef and a good spot for night dives, even if you are new to night diving.  Large healthy formations of plate and lettuce leaf sheet coral.

Animals:
During the day join the large marbled grouper, oriental sweetlips and schools of black and blue-lined snappers swimming in and around the coral. Blue-spotted stingrays hiding under rocks, crocodile fish hiding in the sands, and turtles gracefully surveying their surroundings.

At night see the change in the reef, as octopus, lobster and crabs seem to come alive. See the sea sparkle behind you with luminescent plankton, and see parrotfish sleeping in their mucus sleeping bag!

Depth:
7 - 35+ metres.

Experience level:
Novice to experienced.

Site info:
Kombe is a steeply sloping wall from 8 to 18m, a short ledge, then another drop in the wall. Vibrant soft corals, sponges and anemones.

Animals:
Many fish gather on the reef edge, and the many holes in the wall are home to lobster and mantis shrimp. With the deep water close, there's always the chance of something big. Look out for reef sharks and guitar fish, but also listen out for dolphins.

Depth:
3 – 40 metres.

Experience level:
Snorkellers
to experienced divers.

Site info:
A fantastic dive with a shallow drop off initially, and a vertical wall below 30m.  Lots of healthy hard and soft corals occur here, including staghorn, brain, honeycomb and mushroom coral

Animals: 
There is an enormous diversity and abundance of fish life, including manta rays and reef sharks. Big schools of big eyed jacks, five-lined snapper and sweetlips. Coral swarming with anthias, huge Napoleon wrasse patrol the deep.

Depth:
8 – 40 metres.

Experience level:
Experienced divers.

Site info:
ONE OF THE FINEST DIVE SITES in the world situated just outside the mouth of Fundu Gap.  Manta Point is a spectacular coral pinnacle reaching up from 40m to within 8m of the surface, with a dramatic drop on the western side.

Animals:
One of the best sites in the world for close encounters with graceful manta rays.  They can be seen in large groups of up to 15 individuals.  They may be visiting cleaning stations on the coral pinnacle, or simply cruising past, filter feeding.

The pinnacle is densely covered in beautiful corals with an abundance of marine life from fish such as jackfish, surgeonfish and fusiliers to reef sharks and turtles.

Depth:
5 – 18+ metres.

Experience level:
Experienced divers.

Site info:
A beautiful coral garden starting at 5m and sloping down to 18m, after which it drops away to a breathtaking vertical wall reaching undiveable depths.

Animals:
Manta rays gracefully swim past in season.  Green & hawksbill turtles are sighted frequently, often amongst the cabbage corals.  Large napoleon wrasse and a profusion of titan trigger fish are also found here.

Conditions:
Currents can be strong so dived on best tides.

Depth:
16 – 30+ metres.

Experience level:
Novice to experienced.

Site info:
The Coral Gardens run north to south along Misali island, with small caves and ridges.  There is a large variety of vibrant corals, including gorgonian fans.

Animals:
Exceptional marine life here from small reef fish to giant grouper to hundreds of surgeonfish.  Several large napoleon wrasse are resident on the reef, and turtles are frequently sighted.

Depth:
7 – 14 metres.

Experience level:
Experienced divers.

Site info:
A shallow dive on an old 100m long Greek freighter called the Paraportiani.  The freighter sunk in 1969 and lies on an inside passage between the inner and outer reefs. The stern, which is still intact lies at a depth of 7 - 9 m while the bow lies in 12 - 14m. A large helm is still in place.

Animals:
A great diversity of marine life here.  A great variety of fish such as lionfish, trevally, juvenile napoleon wrasse, and hundreds of glassfish, and abundant unicorn fish. Many invertebrates such as nudibranchs, crabs, sponges and corals.

Conditions:
Frequent strong currents present so dived on a slack low or a slack high.

Depth:
18 – 30+ metres.

Experience level:
Novice to experienced.

Site info:
This is a beautiful mountainous site dominated by rose coral, starting at 18m and dropping to 80 m.

Animals:
Unusual fish such as leaf fish are attracted to the corals on this underwater mountain, and blue striped fusiliers abound. Octopus and lobsters can be found hiding in crevices whilst manta rays swim through the area. Large fish such as dog tooth tuna, rainbow runner and trevally hunt on the mountain.

Depth:
18 – 30 metres.

Experience level:
Experienced divers.

Site info:
Emerald reef was named for the green coral that grows on the reef.   The reef is on southern most point of Pemba with a gentle slope from 7 - 30m.

Animals:
There is a large variety of fish found here, including fusiliers, goldies and damselfish.  Groupers such as large brown marbled grouper and schools of giant barracuda frequent the area. If you are very lucky, you may even spot hammerhead sharks here!

Conditions:
Strong currents so dived on favourable tides.

Depth:
7 – 25+ metres.

Experience level:
Novice to experienced.

Site info:
The north wall sports large gorgonian and fan corals, and starts at 7m, terracing in places down to below 40 m.  The south wall is sheer and starts at 6m, also dropping to below 40m.

Animals:
Several species of rays frequent the area, including mantas, spotted eagle rays and giant reef rays.  Graceful hawksbill and green turtles are also found here. The coral is surrounded by thousands of ever-present goldies. Also present are schools of tuna & barracuda and large napoleon wrasse, grouper and pelagics.

Conditions:
Some current.