Mozambique offers some of the best diving in southern Africa
with warm waters, varied and abundant marine life, uncrowded
and uncommercialised sites and generally good visibility.
The marine life around Mozambique's more remote islands
is outstanding; both the Bazaruto and Quirimbas archipelagos
are dotted with pristine reefs of hard and soft corals. Mozambique
is justifiably regaining recognition as an intriguing diving
destination. It's 2,500km of white, palm-fringed beaches,
lapped by the warm, blue waters of the Indian Ocean are a
natural attraction. The extensive coral reefs host a dazzling
array of unique marine life and the offshore islands also
offer excellent diving opportunities.
Bazaruto Archipelago
One of the most striking aspects of diving the reefs off Bazaruto
& Benguerra Islands are the sheer unspoilt beauty and
the variety and abundance of marine life. Once under
water exotic reef fish abound-schooling bannerfish,
moorish idols, butterfly fish, blue striped snappers, oriental
and barred sweetlips, boxfish, goldies, trigger fish and numerous
others provide movement among the diverse beautifully coloured
corals and sponges. During the winter months (June to
September) there is a chance of close-up encounters with the
migrating humpback whales.
Quirimbas Archipelago
The Quirimbas Archipelago consists of 32 coral islands stretching
from Pemba in the South to the Rovuma River in the North
that forms the natural border between Tanzania and Mozambique.
The drop-offs around these Islands are legendary and spectacular
with vertical walls adorned in hard coral stretching out
into the clear blue Indian Ocean. Fish life including Game
fish and every imaginable invertebrate thrive in these waters
making this a must for the serious diver looking to add
adventurous dive destinations to their experiences.
The water temperature ranges form 24 Deg C in winter to
as high as 29 Deg C in summer with visibility ranging from
15m to 20m in summer to it's best of 20m to 30m in early
winter with exceptions of up to 30m to 40m on occasions.
Best diving conditions are during the winter months from
April to September with the summer months almost as good.
Diving in the Quirimbas has been likened to diving in an
aquarium! The fish life is simply awesome and there is an
amazing diversity of species. Nudibranchs, shrimps, lobsters,
ribbon eels, blue spotted rays and a myriad of fish are
seen on every single dive! There is a large variety of hard
and soft corals, and there is no damage to the reefs due
to the protection of the sanctuary and good diving practices.
Turtles are commonly seen, and in summer (Nov-Jan), green
turtles can be seen crawling up onto the beach to lay their
eggs in the sand... a truly magical sight to witness! Whales
and whalesharks are also fairly common in season (June to
October). The area is home to many different species of
shark. Dolphins are frequently seen, and it is often possible
to snorkel with them.
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