MNEMBA SCUBA DIVING & SNORKELING TOUR IN ZANZIBAR WITH AFRICANMECCA

Mnemba Atoll is a protected oceanic area off northeastern Zanzibar near Matemwe with excellent visibility depths ranging from ten to thirty meters. It includes the small triangular island of Mnemba and a reef area comprising of two by four miles. This breathtaking marine ecosystem is famous for sightings of green turtles and dolphins that like to join you as you snorkel or dive while the seasonal migrating whale sharks and humpback whales announce their presence with an occasional spout of water.



On your dive tour of Zanzibar, you will learn of the five main diving locales around Mnemba. Kichwani with its many shaded fish like leaffish, frogfish and nudibranchs are perfect for both beginners and advance PADI divers. A gentle incline of the coral wall, it slopes till thirty meters. And if you were to visit the Sand Banks while diving on your Indian Ocean Island holiday in Zanzibar, you could spot eagle rays, frogfish, batfish, seahorses and snappers among others.

Then there is the Aquarium where you will find garden eels, white tip reef sharks, green turtles, groupers and surgeonfish to name a few. Wattabomi also called Eel City is also suitable for all levels of divers and offers glimpses of anthias, moray eels, lionfish, scorpionfish and many more. Veteran divers can try their skills at the Small Wall and be rewarded with sightings of spanish dancers, napoleon wrasse, sting rays and also the butterflyfish that are native to this location but usually challenging to spot. Octopi, moray eels, egg cowries and other marine life await your discovery at Kokota Reef. Contact AfricanMecca to plan your unique underworld diving excursion or snorkeling safari in Tanzania.

Diving & Snorkeling Sites Around Mnemba

1. Kichwani

The Kichwani diving and snorkeling site comprises of a gentle slope that begins at 4 meters and extends up to 35 meters. A beautiful site with both soft and hard coral, Kichwani hosts many types of fish that navigate its mild to strong currents. Go exploring at this site for fascinating views of the torpedo ray, crocodile fish, moray eel, scorpion fish, leaf fish and frogfish camouflaged among the coral. Watch the mackerel, snappers and goatfish floating around while divers braving the deeper sections can find white tip sharks, bluefin trevallies and Napoleon wrasse.

2. Coral Garden

Located in the southeast section of the Mnemba Atoll is the Coral Garden, a spectacular dive site with depths from 6 to 25 meters. This site is ideal for beginners since the current is mild with lots of attractive fish amidst the soft coral and sea sponges that you can spot and photograph. In the shallows, you can see bluefin trevallies looking for a quick meal along with schools of butterfly fish and snappers. You might even spot a Napoleon wrasse wandering around, or some other fascinating oceanic creatures camouflaged in the coral such as various kinds of puffer fish, false stonefish, frogfishes, Spanish dancers, blue ribbon eels and Indian Walkman.

3. The Big Wall

The Big Wall, best suited for highly experienced divers, has depths ranging from 12 to 40 meters but also extends down to a maximum of 60 to 70 meters. Currents in the area can vary from still waters to very strong, and scuba diving is possible only in good weather conditions. The expedition begins with a smooth descent along a vertical wall where you can spot blotched stingrays, Napoleon wrasse, giant green turtles, unicorn fish, batfish, tuna, rainbow runners, barracudas and many more. As you near the end of your explorations, you will reach the shallow sections that abound with both soft and hard corals.

4. Wattabomi

Begin your exploration of the amazing world of Wattabomi at a depth of 7 meters at Moray Eel City. Perfect for diving enthusiasts of all experience levels, the area has depths ranging from 8 to 25 meters with mild currents and a gentle slope so that you can get gradually acclimated to it. You will find a fantastic scattering of picturesque coral blocks that are breathtakingly beautiful and perfect for taking lots of photographs. Aside from schools of bottlenose dolphins that play in these waters all around the year, you can also spot giant stone fish, nudibranch, leaf fish, various moray eel, scorpion fish and lionfish.

5. Groupers Rock

If you would like to go looking for larger fish, Groupers Rock is the site you must choose. Explore the big rock formations amidst a mild to strong current that conceal cleaner shrimps, moray eels and other small fish. As you voyage over the sand banks, prepare to be startled as torpedo rays also called Kuhl's rays explode out of the sand. Look around for Napoleon wrasses, groupers, green turtles and white tip reef sharks in the depths that range from 12 to 30 meters. As you near the end of your dive expedition, you will come across small coral rocks that are home to poisonous stonefish, scorpion fish, Spanish dancers, lionfish and elusive sea grass ghost pipefish.

6. Aquarium

Considered as one of the most scenic sites in the Mnemba Atoll, the Aquarium has mild to strong currents. You will be able to see hard lettuce corals seemingly piled together with large numbers of fish floating above them. Both novice and experienced divers can visit this site to revel in sightings of gorgeous marine life. Look for green turtles, napping or resting, or schools of goatfish and snappers wandering by. Since the site also serves as an oceanic cleaning station, you might spot giant marbled groupers getting serviced by the cleaner fishes. Raise your gaze upwards for sightings of schools of fusiliers hunted down by bluefin trevallies.

7. Samaki Wall

One of the specialty diving sites with strong currents and ideal for very experienced deep sea divers, the Samaki Wall is located on the east of Mnemba. You will be diving to depths from 12 to 40 meters where you will find a cave teeming with a large variety of fish such as unicorn fish, oceanic triggerfish and fusiliers. As you return to base, drifting over the shallow areas, you will spot green turtles, stonefish, lionfish, Indian Walkman, blue ribbon eels, scorpion fish, Spanish dancers, honeycomb moray eels and many more.

8. Sand Banks

An incredibly picturesque diving site, ablaze with color along with landscapes such as small caves abounding with both hard and soft coral is the Sand Banks. With depths ranging from 6 to 30 meters, the site has mild to strong currents. Become one with the gorgeous schools of fish as you swim among them. You will find nudibranch, blue ribbon eels, Giant Spanish dancers, blue spotted stingrays and many more. Before you conclude your dive here, you are most likely to encounter large schools of batfish.

9. Westbank

Should you choose to explore the Westbank, you will find the site to the west of the Mnemba Atoll. Enjoy your expedition in the channel between the Mnemba reef and Zanzibar Island as you view large hard coral reefs that extend from 15 to 30 meters in height. This dive site is recommended only for divers with years of experience. You will also see soft corals along with gorgeous aquatic creatures living among them. On the channel side, you can look for varieties of stingrays, rainbow runners, spadefish, reef sharks and many more aquatic creatures. Your divemaster will advise that you try this site out only in good weather.

10. Jackfish Spot

Although accessible only during good weather conditions, the Jackfish Spot is an incredibly wonderful diving site on the east of the Mnemba Atoll. The reef wall is located at a depth of 12 meters and extends down to 50 meters. You need to be a well-experienced diver to explore it since currents in the area can be strong. Spend time here, and you will be rewarded with sightings of groupers, snappers and large ornate spiny lobsters darting among the soft corals. You can also look for blotched stingrays, rainbow runners, eagle rays, jackfish, reef sharks, barracudas, batfish, mobulas and Napoleon wrasses.

Other Dive Sites In Zanzibar

1. Stone Town Diving

2. Wreck Diving In Zanzibar

3. Mnemba Atoll Marine Park Diving & Snorkeling