Mafia Island Marine Park (the first in Tanzania) was opened in July 1995. The project is backed by the WWF which contributes human and financial resources for its development and maintenance.

The Mafia archipelago is formed of a number of very large islands and small uninhabited coral atolls. The island is the meeting place of large oceanic fish and the vast variety of fish common to the Indian Ocean coral reefs. There are over 400 species of fish in the park. The Park is a paradise for both expert scuba divers as well as those wishing to snorkel or sail in the native local boats from island to island. At present the international diving community has not ‘discovered’ the surrounding reefs of Mafia which makes for amazing diving in genuinely pristine conditions.

Mafia is also a refuge for whale sharks and the lodges organising incredible excursions to snorkel with these gentle giants of the ocean - highly recommended. Photo courtesy of Paul Smithson, U.K.

Island excursions can also be organised to visit villages and different parts of the island.

MAFIA ISLAND PHOTO GALLERY

The Mafia archipelago is situated about 130 km south of Dar es-Salaam and about 25 km from the mainland. Chole Bay, Mafia's protected deep-water anchorage and the original harbour, is studded with islands, sandbanks and beaches. The clear, protected waters offer wonderful snorkeling, sailing and swimming. Outside the Bay an unbroken reef runs the length of the island, from Tutia in the south to Ras Mkumbi at the northern tip.

On land, the rich variety of vegetation is dominated by large palm groves. In some areas there are baobab trees dotting the typical African savannah and there are also fruit trees in many areas, mainly mango and cashew trees.
The archipelago's birdlife undergoes significant seasonal variations according to the passing migrants. Falcons and fish eagles build their nests on both the small and larger islands.

When to Visit:
Best time to visit is June-October and December-February.
Best time for diving is September-March.

Getting there:
By Air:
There are daily scheduled flights from Zanzibar via Dar es Salaam and daily flights Mafia-Dar which connect on to Zanzibar.
There are also daily flight connections from Mafia-Selous.
On request there are flights from Mafia-Kilwa.

Accommodation

There are currently only 4 tourist lodges on Mafia Island all located around Chole Bay.

• POLE POLE - From $175p.p.
• KINASI - From $140 p.p.
• CHOLE MJINI - From $200p.p.
• MAFIA ISLAND LODGE - From $37.50P.P

Please ask for full fact sheet on Mafia Island, recommended accommodation and diving options.

DIVING IN MAFIA
All the lodges in Chole Bay offer fully equipped Scuba diving facilities and professional, qualified dive instructors.

The Mafia Island Marine Park was established because of the fabulous wealth and diversity of corals and fishes and the diving is spectacular. SCUBA diving is possible throughout the year but is best from November through April. There are lots of big fish and a chance to see dolphins, rays, sharks and other rarities. Mafia offers probably the best all-round diving experience in East Africa, with protected shallow coral gardens and reefs inside Chole Bay for beginners and novices as well as deep water diving, sheer walls and exhilarating drift dives for the advanced and expert divers.

It is a good idea for those who wish to learn to dive in Zanzibar, Pemba and Mafia to contact their local PADI Dive Center at home to complete all their confined water dives (e.g. in swimming pool), theory and exam prior to arriving. Ask your PADI Dive Center to give you a referral form and you will then be able to complete your open water section of the course at your preferred destination in Tanzania. This is known as a Referral Course and can be done through any accredited PADI dive centre. Please ensure that all class records and files are brought with to Tanzania and you can save yourself 2 valuable days of your holiday.

Single dives from $40p.p., PADI open water courses from $360 p.p.

SEE OUR SPECIAL DIVING ITINERARIES