Zanzibar Island diving and watersports

Zanzibar Island diving

Zanzibar Island diving

Zanzibar offers some of the best dive sites in the world with an abundant marine life on the coral reefs around Ungunja and Pemba Island. Excellent conditions, 10 - 50 meters visibility and an average water temperature of 27°c, ensure enjoyable diving experiences. The best time of the year to dive Zanzibar is said to be from around October to March (just before the long rain season that affects the visibility. Around January the possibility of seeing Mantas are higher.

You will have no problems diving the coral reefs of Zanzibar as the Island has several dive and water sport centers and most of them also run international PADI diving courses. Because of the good conditions Zanzibar is also an ideal place for learning to dive or improve your diving qualifications.

Zanzibar offers a wide variety of dive sites to cater for divers only starting the experience up to advanced experienced divers.

Zanzibar Island, also being a great diving desitation, offers a vide veriaty of dive sites with many professional dive centres. Dive centres are convenitnatly located at most of the larger beach resorts found on Zanzibar. Even if you stay at one of the smaller hotels arrangments can be made with a nearby dive centre to conventinetly collect you from the hotel for your dive safari.

Dive prices averidge round US$60 for a single dive, and US$110 for a double tank dive (2 dives on one dive safari). Once on Zanzibar a dive package, that will included 4 or more dives, can also be booked that will be more cost effective.

Zanzibar Island is also a perfect location to either start your scuba diving experience with a Discover Scuba Diving course, or to become a qualified scuba dives with an Open Water Dive course.

Ever wondered what it’s like to breathe underwater? If you want to find out without take the plunge into a certification course, A Discover Scuba Diving will let you do just that, discover the amazing underworld with scuba while in the safe hands of a qualified instructor. Most Zanzibar dive centres on the Island offer this program, or a version of the intrudutionary course.

While this shorterned course not make you a certified scuba diver, during the Discover Scuba Diving experience you’ll learn how to use scuba equipment in shallow water and get a quick and easy introduction to what it takes to explore the underwater world.

The PADI Open Water Diver course is the world’s most popular scuba course, and has introduced millions of people to the adventurous diving lifestyle. After completing this course you will be a certified diver. Many other dive course are also available that will increase your diving qualification and open up other speciality dives i.e. deep dives, drift dives, night dives etc.

If you will be staying on Zanzibar for a short trip, or prefer to maximize your time on the Island, our recomendation would be for unqualified divers to travel do a Discover Scuba Divng course on Zanzibar. The reason being this course can be done in 1 day, and you will eperience a sport that in the past was only available for the extreme adventurous or extremely wealthy traveller. Alternatively prior to arriving on Zanzibar you can do the theory part of the Open Water Diver course at your closest dive school, or online with a registerred online agent, and your qualifieing dives can then be done on Zanzibar with one of the registerred dive centres.

Zanzibar Island diving reefs

PANGE REEF
This reef has a maximum depth of 14 meters and is the first sand bank west of Stone Town. Because of it's calm and shallow waters this is an ideal reef for Open Water Dive courses. A wide variety of coral and tropical fish are found here that includes, Clown fish, Parrot fish, Moorish Idol. During a night dive Cuttlefish, Squid, Crab and other species are observed.

BAWE ISLAND
A 20 minute boat trip from Stone Town will bring you to this reef, and it has a maximum depth of 18 meters. Beautiful Acropora, Staghorn and Brain corals are found with a variety of fish life.

PEGASUS WRECK
For experienced divers only, this 50 meter wreck was sunk in 1916 by the German gunship. The maximum depth will be around 50 meters.

THE GREAT NORTHERN WRECK
This ship, The Great Northern - a British steel cable laying ship, sank on 1902. Because of it's depth at around 16 meters it can be explored even by novice divers and snorkellers.

MUROGO REEF
Only about 20 minutes by boat to this reef. It consist of a sloping reef wall at a maximum depth of 24 meters. Novice divers can dive here and see a huge variety of coral and fish life.

NYANGE REEF
The largest reef found on the west coast of Zanzibar Island. Due to its size it offers several dives sites to be explored.

BORIBU REEF
Around a 45 minutes boat ride will take you to this reef with a maximum depth of 30 meters. This reef offers huge Barrel Sponges, large Gorgonian fan's, large lobsters, Moray eels, barracuda and Whale sharks has been spotted here.

BAHARI WRECK
Around a 45 minutes boat ride will take you to this reef with a maximum depth of 30 meters. The wreck is about 50 years old and was used to transport spares and heavy equipment for the Royal Navy ships.

KICHWANI
This reef will be for experienced divers only. This is a drift dive and the depth is between 20 ~ 40 meters. The reef offers coral species like Mushroom, Honeycombe, Brain and Staghorm coral. Diving below 30 meters many reef fish, Trumpetfish and Napoleon Wrasse can be spotted. Reef sharks, Eagle and Manta rays have also been sighted here.

WATTABOMI
This is a perfect spot for snorkelers and novice divers. This reef is at a depth of only 10 ~ 15 meters and offers small reef fish, Regal Angelfish, Bluestreak Cleaner Wrasses, Moorish Idol, Blue Spotted Rays, Semicircle Angelfish, Moray Eels, Lionfish and more. Remember your underwater camera for some excellent pictures.

AQUARIUM
This reef is at a depth of around 18 meters. On this dive you normally have a slight current and diving here you stand a good change to see Moorish Idols, Surgeonfish, Groupers, Parrotfish, Green Turtles, large Hawksbill and if your lucky white-tip reef Sharks.

LEVEN BANK
One of the best dive sites on along the north coast of the Island, unfortunately is dive is only for experienced divers due to the strong currents, this will be a drift dive. The large selection of fish that includes Tuna, schools of Barracuda, Guitarfish, Moray Eels & White tip reef Sharps makes this site something not to be missed for advanced divers. Dolphins have also been spotted here and there is also a large variety of coral that includes Honeycomb and Pillar Coral.

THE BIG WALL
This is only for advanced divers as this spectacular dive is a wall dive that start around 30 meters and drop down to around 50 meters. Drifting along the wall you can see Bluefin Trevally, schools of Rainbow Runners and with luck Common Dolphinfish. Whale Sharks have also been spotted here and at the edge of the wall you will find overhangs and small caves providing protection for Lobsters.

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