Perhaps the best known of Tanzania's Spice Islands, Zanzibar isn't just about white-sand beaches and lush greenery - it offers some pretty fantastic diving. Best visited between mid-February and April or October to mid-December, the island offers bath-warm waters and crystalline visibility, making the diving here great for first timers. Zanzibar has a whopping 25 listed dive sites within its waters, with the most popular (and our favourite) sites sitting around Mnemba, a teeny-tiny atoll just off the east coast. Ready to explore this incredible island? Read on to discover the best diving in Zanzibar…
Wattabomi, Mnemba Atoll
Wattabomi is one of the most popular dive sites around Mnemba Atoll, and it's no surprise why. Suitable for everyone from beginners to pros, this reef dive begins at Mnemba's Moray Eel City, an aptly named section of the reef known for its vast population of these crevice-dwelling creatures. The site follows a slope down to a maximum depth of 20m, and as you dive further through the glassy water, you'll glide over intricate coral formations inhabited by tropical reef fish. Alongside teeny nudibranchs and snow-capped anemone shrimps are frogfish, stone fish and scorpionfish, and if you happen to be visiting between June and October, you might even catch a glimpse of a bottlenose dolphin dipping in and out of the water.
Small Wall, Mnemba Atoll
Next up on our list of the best diving in Zanzibar is Small Wall, a fantastic drift dive just off the southern tip of Mnemba Atoll. The shallow reef slopes down to depths of 30m, before dropping vertically to 50m below sea level. As you float downwards with the reef alongside a coral maze, sightings of stingrays and eels give way to Napoleon Wrasse and the occasional gleaming whitetip reef shark. Keep your eyes peeled and you might even spot a lemon-yellow Zanzibar butterflyfish. They might be colourful, but they're pretty shy, so it's no mean feat to catch a glimpse of one.
The Aquarium, Mnemba Atoll
Next up on our roundup of the best diving in Zanzibar is the Aquarium. This dive site is set just southwest of Mnemba and, as the name suggests, is chock-full of magnificent marine life. There is usually a soft current at this site, so divers can gently drift down the sloping reef wall to depths of 25m, making the Aquarium the perfect site for newer divers to catch a glimpse of Mnemba's underwater life. Glide past the colourful coral outcrops cloaking the wall and marvel at electric blue surgeonfish, slow-moving grouper and giant trevallies as they swim through the reef. You might also spot crowds of neon crescent-tail bigeye fish as they dart over a carpet of garden eels just off the reef.
Grouper's Rock, Mnemba Atoll
Just a stone's throw from the Aquarium is Grouper's Rock, a fantastic dive perfect for any budding underwater photographers. The dive begins 12m down with a colossal coral formation housing vibrant reef fish and gradually evolves into eerie grouper's caves as you swim deeper. Have your camera at the ready and swim to the seabed to capture cute nudibranchs and, occasionally, ruby red Spanish dancers, as they shuffle through the pearl-white sand. If you prefer bigger creatures, head further into the caves - you might just be lucky enough to see groups of whitetip reef sharks hanging out under the overhangs.
The Great Northern, Stone Town
If wreck diving's your thing, then this one's for you. We're venturing away from our beloved Mnemba here to Stone Town on Zanzibar's western coast, where The Great Northern, a British ship that sank over a century ago, lies. Wrecks have a reputation for being more advanced dives, but this spectacular sunken ship sits just 12m from the surface, meaning it's perfect for newbies and pros alike. The Great Northern is now part of the furniture on the seabed, hosting an artificial reef brimming with macro marine life. The coral here is said to be some of the best in Zanzibar, so mask up and dive down to see cute shrimp and spindly pipefish weaving their way around the colourful reef.
