Coastal & Islands · Marine Park
Tanzania's Best Diving, and Hardly Anyone There
Mafia sits about 50 km off the Rufiji delta and receives a tiny fraction of Zanzibar’s visitors. Its marine park was Tanzania’s first, and the reefs inside Chole Bay are among the healthiest in the Indian Ocean — hard coral gardens, walls and more than 400 species of fish.
From October to March whale sharks feed in the plankton-rich water off the west coast, close enough to shore that snorkelling with them is genuinely reliable rather than a lottery.
- Whale shark snorkelling from October to March
- Mafia Island Marine Park — Tanzania's first
- Green turtle nesting and hatchings on Juani Island
- The 13th-century Kua ruins and mangrove kayaking
Good to Know
Mafia Island at a Glance
Wildlife You May Spot
Best Time to Visit
October to March for whale sharks; June to October for the calmest diving conditions.
Size
About 394 km², with the marine park covering the southern bays and reefs.
Whale Sharks
A resident seasonal population feeds off the west coast between October and March.
Getting There
Short flights from Dar es Salaam or Zanzibar to Mafia airstrip.
- Whale Shark
- Green Turtle
- Manta Ray
- Dolphin
- Coral Reef
- Grouper
- Octopus
- Dugong
- Reef Shark
- Mangroves
Things to Do
Under the Water and Over It
Mafia is a diving and snorkelling island first, but there is enough history and mangrove to fill the days you are not in the water.
- Diving and snorkelling in Chole Bay
- Whale shark snorkelling in season
- Juani Island turtle hatchings and the Kua ruins
- Kayaking the mangrove channels and dhow sailing
The Island Nobody Told You About
Add a few days on Mafia to any safari and you’ll wonder why it isn’t busier.