The diving around Pemba Island, Zanzibar is nothing else but breathtaking. The untouched coral reefs surrounding the entire island make Pemba one of the top dive sites in the world. Pemba, Tanzania is the perfect place to start your dive adventure with one of the healthiest coral reefs in the Indian Ocean, a water temperature averaging at 26ºC and the best visibility of East Africa of 30-40 meters almost every day!
40% on E learner open water course. This offer applies if you do your Padi Open Water theory online prior to arrival through www.padi.com/elearning-scuba-registraton/ Please register with “Dive 360 Pemba”. Our dive centre number is 35453.
Read through the Diving brochure for more details. Just a note, all diving is booked and paid for at the resort, if you need more information prior to arrival, please e-mail diving@themantaresort.com.
We have nine sites we dive on a regular basis.
Some of the dive sites around Pemba are spectacular by any standards. The deep Pemba channel rises dramatically towards the island’s west coast in near vertical walls along many of the reefs. Diving in this region is characterized by exceptionally clear, blue water drop-off’s and vibrantly healthy shallow reefs. Hard and soft coral gardens support a proliferation of reef and pelagic fish and other marine life.
1. THE SWISS REEF – 3 DIVE SITES
System of sea mountains running parallel to the wall on a platform 25 m down. The mountains have different profiles; from just a few meters up to 100 m long. The thing to do here is drift dive over the system from one mountain to another, discovering the amazing reef life. Good chance of seeing big pelagic and turtles. Recommended for: Experienced divers.
2. SHIMBA HILLS – 2 DIVE SITES
The last corner of the Shimba Wall breaks into two and forms a valley at 12 m depth with sand bottom with lots of barrel sponges and anthias, red sea sweatlips, fusiliers, red tooth triggerfish, etc. Recommended for: Novice Divers
3. SHIMBA WALL
A gentle sloping wall, starting at about 6 m and runs parallel to the island for about 500m. connecting with Shimba hills. The Max depth of 25 m making this suitable for Advanced divers. Noted for its red tooth trigger fish, nudibranches and leaf fish to name but a few.
4. THE EDGE – 5 DIVE SITES
Just west of the north-western peninsula. This is the last wall before Pemba island drops into the Pemba channel The wall starts at 30 meters and falls down steep! On the top of the wall huge barrels sponges and spirals corals grow up to two meters high. This is a great place for encounters with Napoleon fish, potato grouper, cubera snapper, big pelagic, turtle and even white tip shark. Recommended for: Deep divers certificate apply. Strong currents occur.
5. POLE POLE MOUNTAIN
Mountain of coral that lumes from 30 m to 16 m, the base of the mountain is scattered with smaller hills of coral, with lots of spotted sweet lips, nudibranches and turtles, this site is for experienced AOW divers and above, and can only be dived at slack tides.
6. SCORPIONS SECRET
Situated a 2 min boat ride from the resort a gentle sloping wall starting at 5 m down to 18 m. Clear visibility and gentle currents make this site perfect for novice divers (DSD and OW) and snorkelers alike, as well as night dives. Well know for its camouflaged scorpion fish. Leaf fish, lion fish and giant frog fish.
7. HOUSE REEF
Right on the entrance to the manta resort coming from the ocean, an open patch of sand at 5m with superb visibility, flowing into big coral bomies filled with tropical fish and nudibranches, is perfect for snorkelers and divers of all levels, as well as night dives, Keep an eye out for large eye squid and octopus.
8. NJAO GAP – 5 DIVE SITES
A 30 min boat ride from the resort, Njao Gap which separates Njao island from the main island, you will find 5 different dive sites (Coral Garden, North Wall, South Wall, Slip stream, Jahazi Reef)ranging from 5 m to 40 m with sheer walls, mountains and coral gardens. This site focuses on good visibility, a massive variety of hard and soft coral, strong currents and a healthy vibrant range of marine life for example, Titan trigger fish, Napoleon wrasse, green turtles, giant trevally and dog tooth tuna, to name but a few, on the deeper dives we have been known to see white tip reef sharks, the sites are suitable for divers and snorkelers of all levels.
9. FUNDU GAP – 5 DIVE SITES
Situated South of Njao island about a one hour boat ride from the resort Fundu Gap separates Fundu island and Njao island. The 5 dive sites (Mandela Wall, Pinnacle, Coral Garden, Crack, South Wall) at Fundu range from 5 m to 40 m and allows for clear visibility, strong currents and large coral formations. These sites are better know for their larger fish species such as Eagle rays, Napoleon’s, GT’s and Barracuda. The deep drop-offs and cooler waters allow for amazing soft coral growth such as Gregorian sea fans and anemone cities. The Macro life on these softer coral gardens is phenomenal and is suited for all levels of diver and snorkeler, U/W photography is a must.