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Emerald Reef |
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Max Depth: 30m |
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average visibility on this reef is 30m and
derives its name from the green coral covering
the reef. It is located on the Southern most
point of Pemba and subject to strong currents.
There is a gentle slope from 7 - 30m where many
large brown marbled grouper are found. Most
varieties of fishlife are found between 20 - 25m
with damselfish, goldies and fusiliers. A large
school of giant barracuda frequent the area. On
occasion hammerhead sharks have been seen. |
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Panza Wreck |
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Max Depth: 14m |
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A shallow dive on an old 100m
long Greek freighter called the Paraportiani
which sunk in 1969 lying on an inside passage
between the outer and inner reefs. Can only dive
on a slack low or a slack high. Frequent strong
currents present. Best visibility on a slack
high when there is always a mild current
present. The stern, which is intact lies at a
depth of 7 - 9 m while the bow lies in 12 - 14
m. A large helm is still in place. A great
variety of fish, with hundreds of glassfish, a
resident juvenile napoleon wrasse, abundant
unicorn fish of different types, lionfish and
trevally. Also full of diverse marine life such
as crabs, nudibranchs, sponges and corals.
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Samaki Reef |
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Max Depth: 20m |
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large flat reef on the edge of the Pemba
Channel, 20 m+ depth. Best for experienced
divers as strong currents are common. Scattered
unspoilt corals richly inhabited by diverse
marine life. Look out for lobster, octopus and
moray eels hiding amongst the bommies surrounded
by large schools of trevally, surgeon fish and
fusiliers. |
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Misali Big Blue |
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Max Depth: 40m |
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Experienced divers only!! Drop into the blue and
get swept along Mesali's Southern Channel. You
need eyes in the back of your head for this dive
as the possibility of reef sharks, barracuda and
giant rays is high. |
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Makarere Reef |
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Max Depth: 30m+ |
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An interesting undulating reef set on a sandy
slope on Mesali's Southwestern edge. A series of
coral hillocks extend from the top of the reef
at 8 - 10 m depth to the bottom at more than 30
m. The corals are home to torpedo rays, moray
eels and lobsters along with many reef fish
while the sandy valleys are home to schools of
surgeon and unicorn fish, roaming napoleon
wrasse and large spotted eagle rays. This area
is in dolphin territory and you can often hear a
pod of friendly spinners nearby. |
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Misali Coral Garden - Razorback Reef |
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Max Depth: 45m |
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The coral garden runs North - South mainly
conducted as a drift dive. Consists of a
multitude of different corals all in extremely
good condition. At its Southernmost point the
corals might not be at their best but turtles
can be sighted here. The whole site has at lest
three resident Napoleon Fish varying in size.
The Razorback Reef and a further deep reef for
experienced divers can be included on this dive.
The inside face of the razorback reaches 30 m
while the outside face reaches 40 m. Excellent
fish life all around this reef. The deep reef
can be looked at from the top at 45 m from where
very large Napoleon Fish have been seen and a
2.5 m bull shark. |
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Misali Coral Mountain |
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Max Depth: 45m+ |
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coral dominates this beautiful mountainous site
to which are attracted some unusual fish such as
the leaf fish. Octopus and lobsters can be seen
here and manta rays have been spotted passing
through the area. Depths reach 80 m. Many other
game fish such as dog tooth tuna, rainbow runner
and trevally hunt on the mountain and blue
striped fusiliers abound. |
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Mapinduzi |
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Max Depth: 45m+ |
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A wall dive dropping to 45 m with large
gorgonians and fan corals adorning its sides.
This site has also had sightings of manta rays,
big shoals of barracuda and sharks. Giant
triggerfish live here in large numbers. They are
Pemban triggers and are not aggressive. |
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Uvinje Gap |
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Max Depth: 40m |
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Spectacular sheer wall dropping to over 40 m
with breathtaking overhangs and numerous fish
such as moorish idols, butterfly and angelfish
hiding amongst the black corals commonplace in
this area. Large groupers and napoleon wrasse
can be spotted at depth. Plenty of life in the
shallows with thousands of goldies playing
amongst the large coral bommies. |
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Uvinje Outer Walls |
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Max Depth: 40m+ |
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The coral on the North wall
is in excellent condition with large gorgonians
and fan corals surrounded by the thousands of
ever-present goldies. Manta and spotted eagle
rays are known to frequent the area as well as
giant reef rays and hawksbill and green turtles.
Schools of tuna and barracuda and large napoleon
wrasse have been seen here. The top of the site
starts at 7 m and in places terraces down to
below 40 m.The South Wall starts at 6 m and
drops again to 40 m+. Here again you may see
Napoleon Fish, large grouper and some pelagics.
Here let the current swing you into the gap
along the spectacular sheer wall.
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The Balcony |
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Max Depth: 30m+ |
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A deep wall from 7 m to 100m + covered in
seawhips and gorgonian fans with a giant
overhang hence the name. Look out for large
napoleon wrasse, big mackerel, jackfish and
large numbers of fusiliers. |
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The Cave |
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Max Depth: 30m+ |
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The top of the reef is
a shallow 4 m sandy bottom with a sheer cliff
face dropping down to more than 100 m. A cave is
found on this wall at depth - but we do not
penetrate. Large pelagics are ever present and
the currents can be strong. Look out for turtles
on the wall. |
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Fundu South Wall |
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Max Depth: 40m+ |
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Strong currents can be present and as on many
dives in Pemba only recommended for experienced
divers. The reef lies from 5 m to 40 m +.
Shallow caverns and sheer wall faces make up the
topography of this wall with superb coral
formations and plentiful fish life. Kingfish,
jacks, barracuda and napoleons are present with
humphead parrotfish and sweetlips swimming
around the yellow fans. |
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Manta Point |
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Max Depth: 40m |
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A coral pinnacle reaching up from 40 m to within
8 m of the surface situated just outside the
mouth of Fundu Gap. Due to its name you would
expect typical luck to not provide manta ray
sightings - however they do still come into this
area occasionally to visit a cleaning station or
cruising out of the blue at any depth. The
pinnacle is covered in beautiful dense corals
and drops dramatically on its Western side. The
abundance of fish on this reef makes it a superb
dive, one of the best - with or without the
coveted manta ray. Circling the pinnacle you can
watch the behaviour of large jack fish, schools
of surgeonfish and fusiliers, the occasional
reef shark and turtle. |
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The Gauntlet |
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Max Depth: 25m |
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This exilherating dive at Fundu Gap is best on
an incoming tide dropping into the water at the
top end of the reef at around 10 m where we can
find a series of pretty coral bommies to swim
over and down to 25 m where you will find
yourself on top of the wall and being swept into
the Gap and across the Gauntlet. This can be
extremely quick so sit back and enjoy the ride.
Interesting overhangs and rock formations caused
by deep fissures into the cliff face are a
spectacle. |
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Mandela Wall |
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Max Depth: 15m |
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top of Mandela Wall is between 8 to 15 m deep
and drops dramatically to 200 m + in some parts.
The vertical drop is adorned with gorgonian sea
fans and whip corals. Keep eyes peeled for large
pelagics and also for the beautiful manta ray
passing by. |
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Njao Gap |
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Max Depth: 18m |
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Njao Gap North is a beautiful
coral garden starting at 5 m and sloping down to
18 m before dropping away into the deep blue of
the wall. Resident green and hawksbill turtles
are a common sighting and the currents can be
strong and exhilerating. Njao Gap South is best
dived using the Northerly current to sweep you
inside. Drift dive this reef with large Nepoleon
Wrasse and look out for more turtles in the
cabbage corals which abound. As you enter the
gap look out for Manta Rays as the bottom again
drops away to form a breathtaking immense
vertical wall reaching undivable depths.
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