Mafia Island Diving

Mafia Island Marine Park dive centre — Tanzania's most pristine reef diving with whale sharks October-March.

Mafia Island Diving operates within the Mafia Island Marine Park, Tanzania's largest marine protected area and a site of exceptional biodiversity on the East African coast. Unlike the more touristy Zanzibar, Mafia Island remains relatively undeveloped, offering genuine wilderness diving with uncrowded sites and pristine reef systems.

The marine park protects a vast area of coral reef, seagrass beds, and mangrove forests. Dive sites feature healthy hard coral gardens with over 400 species of fish, green and hawksbill sea turtles, reef sharks, giant grouper, and octopus. From October to March, whale sharks congregate in the waters around Mafia Island — one of the most reliable whale shark encounters in East Africa, with sightings on the majority of snorkel trips.

The centre offers PADI courses in English and Swahili. Diving conditions are excellent year-round but peak October-March when visibility reaches 20-30 metres and whale sharks are present. The warm Indian Ocean water (25-30°C) makes diving comfortable without heavy exposure protection.