Many people who visit Zanzibar try their hand at snorkelling and the more adventurous try their hand at diving. There are many snorkelling and diving schools where you can get the services of a trained and certified diving instructor to teach you the basics.
You can also rent the required equipment to engage in this activity. However, a lot of people tend to refrain from snorkelling or diving even though they have the inclination to do so because they feel that sharks abound in the waters of the Indian Ocean. According to the tourism department there have not been any shark attacks in the Zanzibar archipelago in the recent past, though occasional sightings of sharks have occurred.
The types of sharks that you can see in the waters are:. Do you provide pick up for all activities? We include hotel transfers on all wave surfing trips from any hotel in Jambiani, Paje or Bwejuu. If you are staying in a different location on the island, we are happy to help you arrange a driver at reasonable cost.
For all other activities kiting and SUP we don't include transportation and you can meet us at our center in Paje for the scheduled appointment. How can I pay for my booked activities? Prebooked Spots are paid via a secure online Credit Card Link. How long in advance do I have to book with you? Depending on the time of year we can get very busy and booked up quickly.
For example over Christmas and New Years Spots are often booked up weeks in advance. The earlier you sign up the better to make sure to get spots on your desired dates. Are there sharks in Zanzibar? But the scary big ones haven't been seen around. Do you provide insurance on rented kite , surf or SUP equipment? When renting SUPs, kitesurfing gear or fibreglass surf boards we do not include insurance and recommend to buy a worldwide gear rental insurance to cover you in any case. Spots can be reserved without payment until 1 month prior to your trip.
For booking closer than 1 month to the date the spots are only confirmed once payment is received. For bookings including accommodation a deposit is due right after reservation and the balance 1 month prior to your stay.
Change of Date of Booking for example due to sickness : - free of charge until the day before the trip if availability allows rebooking for another date - after or on same day of trip only possible if spot can be filled last minute and if availability allows, otherwise normal cancellation policies apply Refunds: Refunds will be done using the same method as your payment method. Surfing Related Questions What is the best time in the year to surf? We offer Surf Trips on a daily basis all year around except in May if conditions allow.
Our official surf season starts from 15th of December until 15th of March and then again from 1st of June to 31st of October. Throughout the season the conditions are great for beginners on a daily basis. View our Photo Gallery. The bottlenose calves normally stay with their mother until the age of 1. They have a life span of more than 40 years.
In fact, there are two ponds who lives between Nungwi and Mnemba Atoll and are very commonly spotted. When seen in Mnemba, we try to jump in and snorkel with these Dolphins if they are in a playful mood. The Green turtles name comes from the color of their fat and not their shell despite the common belief. The green turtle is the second largest after the leatherback.
They can weight up to kg and reach 1. Green Turtles are very common in Zanzibar. They are used to seeing divers and will not run away if you happen to get closer of a better shot. Sea horses might not look like a typical fish but they are classified as a fish. Seahorses mate for life. In fact, they are among the only animal species on Earth in which the male carries the unborn young. There are a number of species of seahorse in Zanzibar such as the Spiny Seahorse.
You are most likely to see them in Magic Reef or Tumbatu. Mantis shrimp have the best color vision on our planet. Their eyes mounted on mobile stalks and constantly moving about, independently of each other.
Obviously, the most complex eyes in the animal kingdom. The mantis Shrimp has a striking punch that can reach the same speed as a.
Nudibranchs are sea slugs. They have a foot and they leave a slimy trail. They get their bright colors from the food they eat such as sponges, anemones and corals.
They have a poor vision though and can not see their own colors. Nudibranch have both male and female reproductive organs and can mate with any mature individual of the same species. There are many different types on Zanzibar including the famous Spanish Dancer which if your lucky you can find dancing swimming during one of our night dives. As a master of camouflage , an octopus can change the color of its entire body in just three-tenths of a second.
They can observe, learn and even solve problems. They have been seen to remove a plug or unscrew a lid in order to retrieve prey from a container. Octopus are common on all our dive sites, especially on night dives as they are out hunting. Humpbacks are acrobatic and can breech their 40 tons completely out of the water. Humpbacks are known to sing. Their songs are complex while each population singing its own unique song. Their songs are not inborn, they learn them from each other.
Humpbacks feed on krill as well as small fish. There are over different types of coral reefs, creating an ideal environment for divers all year round.
Its location right on top of the Indian Ocean gives it amazing conditions — good currents, low swell, no waves breaking etc.
Even though it may look like your average tropical paradise, underwater, the current brings hidden dangers that must be taken seriously. Located far into the open ocean depths range between 12 and 55 metres. Here you can expect a large plateau extruding from the deep waters, this underwater mountain range is occupied by schools of tuna, kingfish, rainbow runners, Napoleon Wrasse and whitetip reef sharks.
The site is affected by currents making it more suitable for advanced divers, but the shallow sections can still be enjoyed by those at an intermediate level. The Big Wall is another great wall diving experience.
It consists of two walls about 50 metres apart. Located on the east side of the Mnemba Atoll in the open sea, the Big Wall offers a great drift dive. The perfect vertical wall drops from 18 to 55 metres, with many overhangs and small caves to explore. You can often find tuna, rainbow runner, napoleon, grouper and lobster around here. The protected status of many diving areas in Zanzibar and nearby island groups guarantees epic reef diving with large corals in very good condition and an abundance of marine life.
There are over species of coral here including staghorn, elkhorn, brain, tabletop, finger, mushroom and soft coral. The waters around Zanzibar are generally clear and visibility can be 30 metres at times. You can expect sea horses, harlequin shrimps, snake eels , and octopus , as well as the weird and wonderful Indian Ocean walkman.
Although Zanzibar is great for diving with its perfect weather and clear waters, for divers with specific interests, migration seasons with the highest concentration of certain marine animals and the highest possibility of sightings are: Manta rays : December to April Blacktip reefs sharks : June to March Hammerhead sharks : November to February Whale sharks Mafia Island : October to February Humpback whales: July to October Green turtles: September and February nesting periods Eagle rays : June to March Whitetip reef sharks, dolphins and hawksbill turtles : year-round Seahorses : June to March.
Whale sharks can be spotted between October and April, but are most common in November and December, and this is also the season for humpback whale sightings. Mnemba Atoll is a 7-km reef that is a great conservation project. Here whale sharks, turtles and dolphins can be seen between September and December. Nestled along the southwest tip of the island is a little spot called Kizimkazi, which is well-known for its dolphin population.
Dolphins are often found playing in the surf. Kiwengo Bay is another great location for spotting dolphins, especially during the dry season when they come into shallow waters for food. Dolphin-watching trips leave from Kiwengo beach every day except Sundays. Additionally, you could also meet many exquisite small and medium-sized marine citizenss like exotic nudibranchs , blue-spotted stingrays , giant moral eels and mantis shrimps. Zanzibar is a low lying coral atoll, which makes it great for novice divers.
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