Travel Guide Mafia Island Marine Park

This 882 km2 marine reserve is the largest protected area in the Indian Ocean and certainly one of the richest, with 50 types of coral and over 400 species of fish. Most of what there is to see can be observed at depths of less than 30 meters below the surface. Numerous predatory fish such as turtles and even dugongs frequent these waters. Fishing and a few other activities are tolerated according to a plan defined jointly by the authorities and the various local communities. The diversity of coral and fish found here is one of the most prodigious in the world. It's not for nothing that the most experienced divers come here to empty their oxygen tanks. Spectacular remains a bland word in the face of the splendour of the seabed, more preserved, more varied and more developed than in Zanzibar and Pemba. Even when snorkeling, the panorama is fascinating, as the bouquets of coral are visible up close when the tide is right, at around 2 meters above the seabed. An overnight stay in Utende or a day on a boat from Kilindoni costs US$ 23.60 per person per day at the park office.Whaleshark. While sea turtles are sought-after, the star here is the whale shark, a seasonal visitor to the warmer waters of Mafia from September to February. Hotels fill up quickly, given the island's small capacity.