Mafia Island

Mafia is the quiet third of the Tanzanian coastal trio. Zanzibar is the cultural hub, Pemba is the diver's secret, and Mafia is the island for guests who want a marine reserve to themselves. The Mafia Island Marine Park was the first of its kind in Tanzania, covering 822 square kilometres of reef and seagrass on the south of the island, and the protection shows. Coral cover is healthier than almost anywhere on the East African coast, and the marine life that depends on it is correspondingly rich.

Between October and March, the channel between Mafia and the mainland fills with feeding whale sharks. The sharks are juveniles, eight to ten metres long, and the swim with them is one of the few places in the world where it is reliable, legal and well managed. Conservation operators run the trips on small boats with a maximum number of swimmers in the water at any time, no touching, and a percentage of the fee goes to the local research team that tracks individual animals year on year.

Outside of the whale shark season, Mafia is a diving and snorkelling destination, with sites suitable from open water training up to advanced wall and drift dives. Kinasi Pass and Chole Bay hold huge schools of jacks and sweetlips, the offshore reef walls drop to fifty metres and beyond, and green turtle, hawksbill turtle, reef shark and ray are routine. Topside, the small town of Kilindoni and the village of Chole on the lagoon offer a relaxed glimpse of Swahili island life that has not yet been shaped by mass tourism.

Western Bridge Africa books Mafia for guests who want a slower, quieter end to their safari, especially those who care about marine conservation or want a serious diving trip. A 30 minute flight from Dar es Salaam puts you on the island in time for lunch, and our partner lodges run their own boats and dive centres with full PADI certification.