- Type
- Reef
- Typical depth
- 25 m
- Level
- Intermediate
- Visibility
- 15–30 m
- Water temp
- 25–29 °C
- Current
- Moderate
- Access
- Seasonal
- Min cert
- Open Water
- Whale Shark Aggregation
- Snorkel + Dive
- Marine Park
- Channel Drift
- Reef
When to dive
BestAvoidOK
Mafia Island sits off the Tanzanian coast at the mouth of the Rufiji Delta, where nutrient-rich outflow draws a seasonal aggregation of juvenile whale sharks into Kilindoni Bay Oct–Mar (peak Nov–Feb), surface-feeding on copepod blooms. Chole Bay marine park holds the general reef diving — coral gardens, walls, and channel drifts. NE monsoon (Nov–Mar) brings calm seas and warm water; SE monsoon (Jun–Sep) brings rough crossings and many operators close.
7.8500° S, 39.8500° E
Notes
Whale shark season Oct–Mar.
Marine life
- Rays
- manta ray, eagle ray, stingray
- Corals
- hard coral gardens, sea fans, soft corals
- Sharks
- whale shark (Oct–Mar aggregation, juveniles), whitetip reef shark, occasional blacktip
- Turtles
- green, hawksbill
- Pelagics
- giant trevally, barracuda, tuna, kingfish
- Whales & dolphins
- humpback whale (Jul–Sep passing), bottlenose dolphin
- Reef fish
- napoleon wrasse, grouper, snapper, sweetlips, schooling fusiliers
Dive clubs that visit this site
- Basecamp Mafia Island Eco Resortsource
Chole Bay, Mafia Island, Tanzania · Dive centre
- Big Blu Mafia Island Dive Centresource
Utende, Mafia Island, Tanzania · Dive centre
- Mafia Island Divingsource
Utende, Mafia Island, Tanzania · Dive centre
- Pole Pole Bungalows (Mafia Island Diving partner)source
Utende, Mafia Island, Tanzania · Dive centre
Sources
Bring Mafia Island into your dive plan.
Open the planner with this site preselected on the map.
Open the planner →