SNORKELING TOUR EXPERIENCE IN ZANZIBAR WITH AFRICANMECCA

With its varied diverse activities and attractions, Zanzibar Island in the Indian Ocean affords itself as a superlative beach vacation destination in Africa. But among the most exciting is clearly the snorkeling expedition that you can undertake to the many coral reefs around the island and its surrounding isles. The waters of the ocean range at tepid 75-94 F (24-29 C) degrees dependent on the monsoon season creating the perfect temperatures for coral to thrive. The cooler months are from June to August and the hotter months are from December to February.

They in turn have created a grand ecosystem of their own where an amazing variety of marine creatures proliferate. Some of the underwater locations around Zanzibar are ideal for snorkeling because of their shallow depths and excellent visibility. The sunshine lights up the many-hued coral, and as you swim along and around them, you will be able to view a plethora of colorful marine creatures, some with wondrous shapes and forms that allow them to strategically camouflage among the reefs.



As assigned by AfricanMecca, your expert snorkel guide accompanying you will point to you some of the reef fish that you might miss otherwise. Take all the photos you want including turtles and dolphins playing in the waters, and if you should ocean tour Zanzibar in the months from July through October or even till November, you might chance to view humpback whales migrating along the island.

You can excursion out to varied snorkeling sites on boats from strategic dive focused hotels and resorts while some require road transfers to the closest boat meet-up point. Sometimes, divers and snorkelers travel together, and your experienced divemaster will instruct you on the do’s and don'ts of snorkeling and direct you to the prime shallow spots. Spend time on the reefs and look for green turtles, nudibranchs, octopus, glassfish, moray eels, lionfish, zebrafish, leaf fish and many more.

When planning your snorkeling trip in Tanzania, your AfricanMecca tour consultant will work with you to choose marine exploration voyages to varied locations such as Kendwa Reef, Kendwa Gardens, the reefs at Bwejuu in the southeast, the pristine Tumbatu Island and of course, the well-known Mnemba Island.



There are six main dive areas around Mnemba i.e. Kichwani, Aquarium, Wattabomi, Small Wall, Kokota and the Sand Banks; however, Kichwani is the primary recommended site for snorkelers at Mnemba Atoll. But your holiday in Zanzibar would be incomplete without a visit to the first gazetted marine park of Tanzania, Chumbe Marine Park, part of the Chumbe Island Coral Park ecology.

A striking underworld, it has been preserved in an immaculate state thanks to the restrictions on diving and fishing along with a ban on laying anchor without permission. With depths ranging from 1 to 3 meters with the movement of the tides, this reef is easy to explore by even beginners.

A swim to the reef ridge will open a fabulous world where there are parrotfish, butterflyfish, angelfish, triggerfish, sweetlips and moorish idols to name a very few. Menai Bay is yet another prime site that lies in western Zanzibar that is known as a sea turtle breeding ground. It includes lush mangrove forests at its banks along with many coral reefs.

Many smaller isles like Komonda and Pungume alongside sandbanks with its marine-rich reefs all form a part of Menai. You can go swimming with playful humpback and bottlenose dolphins here and migrating whales. You will definitely leave Zanzibar with many fond memories of your discerning snorkeling tour in Africa.