Diving in Tanzania is a magical experience. Crystal clear tropical water, unspoilt corals, shoals of fi sh darting through the reefs, sea turtles gliding through the water, school of barracudas circling overhead. Tanzania has something to offer divers of all abilities. The dive sites in Dar es Salaam, Mtwara, Mikindani, Zanzibar, Pemba and Mafi a rival those found in the Red Sea and deserve to place Tanzania on the map as a diving destination. There are 25 PADI dive centres throughout the country, with skilled instructors and divemasters and world class equipment and a number of liveabroads offering trips to Mafi a, Pemba and Zanzibar. In case of any accidents, there’s a fully operational decompression chamber in Zanzibar, which opened in 2006.

Whether you’re a novice or an experienced diver, Tanzania has something for everyone, from the small wonders of colourful nudibranches to giant groupers, sharks and Napoleon Wrasse. The best diving is generally between October and February, when visibility can be up to 30 metres.

Zanzibar is home to the world famous Mnemba Atoll, a protected marine park with some of the best diving in East Africa. Hawksbill and Green turtles rest on top of plate corals, oblivious to hovering divers snapping pictures. Lion fi sh hide beneath the reef, Moorish Idols dart through the corals and Clown Fish dance possessively around anemones. Turn to the sky and watch hundreds of fi sh, schooling and circling through the water, yellow snappers a vivid contrast to the blue of the water. It’s not uncommon to see White Tip Reef sharks and divers are sometimes lucky enough to have a pod of dolphins as an escort on the way back to the dive centre or catch a glimpse of humpback whales with their calves.

Pemba is a treasure trove of marine life, better suited to experienced divers due to strong currents, making most dives drift dives. Pemba’s corals are pristine. Misali Island, once a hideout of Captain Kidd is now a marine conservation area rich in biodiversity, with over 40 diff erent species of coral, 350 diff erent species of fi sh and 5 diff erent species of sea turtles. Out on the reefs, black snappers school around Coral Mountain, eagle rays and manta rays glide through the water with deadly grace, while lobsters and octopus peer out at inquisitive divers from coral shelves. Green turtles perch on cabbage coral and hammerhead sharks have been seen coming in with the tide.