Diving in Mozambique

When I was living on the island of Mayotte a few years ago, I finally had the chance to set foot on the African continent, in a country that is still unfamiliar to many travellers. In this article, I’ll tell you about one of the wonderful experiences I was lucky enough to have there: diving in Mozambique.

The country is world-famous among divers and is considered one of the best places to observe large marine life, especially manta rays and whale sharks, depending on the season.

Personally, I only had time to spend a wonderful week on the island of Ibo, north of the city of Pemba, in the Quirimbas Archipelago. I was able to do some superb dives there and get a first glimpse of the country. More recently, I also had the pleasure of welcoming a friend I met in Mayotte, who now lives in Chile, more precisely in La Serena, north of Santiago. Marie-Laure has opened a bed and breakfast there, which I can wholeheartedly recommend.

You may be wondering why I’m telling you all this, right? Well, meeting Marie-Laure again here in French Polynesia, where I was living when I wrote this article, inspired me to write about diving in Mozambique. She knows the country very well, having dived at all its most famous spots. With her help and input, I’m sharing this article, which I hope will make you want to discover the country for yourself. Of course, there is much more to see in Mozambique than diving, but that will be the subject of another article.

Let’s be honest: very few people actually know where Mozambique is on a map, let alone where it sits in Africa. The country lies on the east coast of Africa, with Tanzania to the north, South Africa to the south, and Zimbabwe, Zambia and Malawi to the west. Mozambique has more than 2,000 km of coastline along the Indian Ocean, stretching from the capital, Maputo, in the south, to the city of Mocimboa da Praia in the north.

In recent years, Mozambique has become one of the most popular destinations for a diving trip in Africa. Those who have already heard of it often dream of whale sharks and giant manta rays in the warm waters of the Indian Ocean.

For a diving trip, it will of course depend on your departure airport, as flights to Mozambique are not especially common. I recommend checking the Skyscanner website to compare flight prices and find the cheapest flights from where you live.

I’ll add a few practical points that may be useful, especially if you want to organise your dives in Mozambique independently. If you arrive in Maputo, you will need to use other means of transport to reach the country’s different dive sites.

• Domestic flights are not cheap, and prices vary depending on the cities. As an example, for a one-way flight, count less than €70 for Beira – Maputo, or around €150 for Maputo – Vilanculos. You can use a flight comparison site to find the cheapest domestic flights,
• It is often necessary to go through Maputo to reach other cities. For example, there is no direct connection between Vilanculos and Pemba,
• Local or tourist buses remain the cheapest way to travel around the country. It is difficult to find exact bus prices in Mozambique. Count around 1,000 MZN for a Maputo – Vilanculos journey, about €13 to €14 and 10 hours. Please note that journeys are long and uncomfortable, and fares can increase depending on your luggage, especially if you are carrying diving equipment.

A diving trip in Mozambique is an extraordinary experience, at least based on what I saw and what Marie-Laure shared with me. Here are the main dive sites, along with the key things to remember about each one. Of course, there are others along the coast too.

The sites are presented from south to north, as most travellers arrive via Maputo. The country has beautiful dive sites, where you can admire superb coral reefs and an underwater world of exceptional diversity. Clearly, scuba diving in Mozambique has nothing to envy of the Red Sea, Thailand or some Pacific destinations. So here are the country’s most famous dive sites, from south to north.

Located in the far south of Mozambique, this site is particularly protected and mainly visited by South Africans. Like Zavora, further north, it is known for its peaceful atmosphere, its still-preserved authenticity and, of course, its large pelagic fauna. A must-see if you are in the area.

About a 2-hour drive south of Tofo is the famous Zavora dive area. Less well known than Tofo and Vilanculos, this area is home to a good number of dive sites that should delight fans of large marine life, especially sharks! The site is indeed known for its great diversity of sharks. Another even more preserved place to discover.

Also known as Praia de Tofo, or Tofo Beach in Portuguese, this spot is located not far from the city of Inhambane, in the southeast of the country, on the Ponta da Barra peninsula. The site is famous for its fairly sporty dives, as you cannot board directly from a pontoon. Overall, it is more suitable for experienced divers, as the reefs start quite deep, around 15 to 20 metres, and very few sites are suitable for beginners. Many dives here follow a square profile.

The area is home to whale sharks and giant manta rays, as are many other places in Mozambique. Among the most famous sites in the area are Manta Reef, a reef around 27 m deep with a manta ray cleaning station, as well as Amazon Reef, Crocodile Rock, The Salon, Krakatoa, Giants and Office.

To get there, count about 6 hours’ drive north of Maputo, and about 5 hours from the Vilanculos dive area. The nearest airport is Inhambane, easily accessible from Johannesburg.

About 5 hours north of Tofo, the Vilanculos dive area is part of the Bazaruto Archipelago, which became a national park in 1971. The park is home to an incredible variety of fauna and flora, including humpback whales, giant manta rays, dugongs, leatherback turtles and many others.

It is more suitable for beginners, although divers of all levels can fully enjoy it. The site is accessible by road from Tofo, or directly from Vilanculos airport.

This peninsula is home to the famous Nuarro Marine Reserve, an area that is still very much off the beaten track compared with the country’s other dive spots. The site is accessible to both beginners and experienced divers.

The area has around ten dive sites, still largely preserved from the country’s classic diving routes. If you want to spend a week in a dream setting, away from the crowds, this is definitely a place to seriously consider!

The archipelago, located near the border with Tanzania, is breathtakingly beautiful, even on land. I had the opportunity to spend a full week there, both on and under the water, and I have unforgettable memories of it.

The archipelago is especially famous for the diversity of its corals and underwater life in crystal-clear water. There is generally less “big stuff” than at the other sites listed above. It is accessible from the city of Pemba, in the north of the country.

The site known as “The Gap”, off the town of Pemba, is particularly well known in the region for its huge drop-off, a feeding area for large marine life!

You can also dive in Pemba itself. The sites are similar to what you can see in Mayotte: beautiful corals, turtles and a few larger fish. Accessible to all levels.

I had the opportunity to dive on the island of Ibo, while Marie-Laure dived in other parts of the country. Here are a few recommendations. Marie-Laure tells us:

As you said, the dives were quite sporty there, with the boat leaving directly from the beach, lots of waves, and then, once at sea, feet in the foot straps and hands gripping tight! And what can I say about the return, with the boat launched at full speed straight onto the sand!

I dived with the Peri-Peri dive centre, run by English people. It was serious and well equipped. There were three possible dives per day, two in the morning and one in the afternoon. In October, we saw two whales from the boat on every outing, sometimes dolphins too, and very often we could hear whales singing underwater. I even once saw 2 whales and a calf while diving!

Accommodation: Baia Sonambula, above the beach. From the terrace where breakfast was served, you could see hundreds of humpback whales blowing and jumping: what a show!!! Average prices.

There are many other accommodation options, at all prices. It is also easy to find places to eat.

Clearly, tourism in Tofo is mainly focused on divers and surfers. I don’t remember the names of other dive centres, but there are agencies that organise diving trips, such as Terra Profunda Diving & Safaris.

The dives here are easier and take place in the Bazaruto Archipelago, on a 2-mile reef site, but beware of strong currents sometimes!
There is a cleaning station for mobula rays, small manta rays, as well as reef sharks, turtles, rich and healthy corals, and sometimes, on the way, dolphins and dugongs!

I recommend the Odyssea Dive centre, run by two French people, Denis and Sabrina, and a Spaniard, Hugo, who joined them as an instructor and recently opened a kitesurfing school in the same place. In a few words: a very good centre, well equipped, working with Mozambicans, very serious, focused on safety, and divers are pampered with homemade sandwiches at lunchtime, snacks at the end of the dive, all in an excellent atmosphere!

Accommodation: I highly recommend Casa Babi, on the same site as the Odyssea Dive centre, as they have the same owners! A wonderful, comfortable place, with an amazing view of the beach and the islands… Everyone is lovely!
Staying at Casa Babi gives you a 10% discount on the activities offered by Odyssea Dive.

Other activities are offered for non-divers, on land, such as horse riding, city tours and quad bike tours, and at sea, such as dhow trips on traditional boats, whale watching, canoeing, paddleboarding and snorkelling.

Here again, there are several accommodation options for all budgets.

I dived with Pieter from CI Divers, on quiet and easy dives. There were beautiful corals and turtles, but no large marine life. I stayed at Pieter’s place, run by the same owner. It is nice, although simple, and Pieter is friendly and accommodating.

The country has a southern tropical climate, so the seasons are reversed compared with Europe. Mozambique has two clearly distinct seasons. The dry season runs from May to October and brings the coolest temperatures. It is the most pleasant season to visit the country, even if evenings and nights can be quite cool.

The wet season runs from November to March. Temperatures are much warmer, from 27° to 31°. The further north you go towards the equator, the hotter it gets. Rain is more frequent during this season, especially from November to March or April, depending on the region.

The water temperature varies from 22°, in winter in July/August, to about 25° the rest of the year.

Everyone seems to agree that the best period for diving in the country is between October and November, with a preference for October, or rather November, which is very often mentioned in forums.

It is also the ideal period to encounter the two giants of the area: humpback whales, from June to October, and whale sharks, from October to May.

Diving in Mozambique is certainly famous for its large marine life, but the country also has a great local diversity of corals and fish. Its location in the Mozambique Channel, sheltered by the island of Madagascar, gives it impressive fauna and flora. From what I have seen, and from Marie-Laure’s pictures, it really is very beautiful and rich.

Most people coming to Mozambique want to see large sharks, especially the whale shark, which is only present during certain seasons. The rest of the time, you can still see a great diversity of sharks in Mozambique, including blacktips, whitetips, leopard sharks, bull sharks and others.

Of course, it is impossible to talk about diving in Mozambique without mentioning the giant manta rays, encountered in particular at the cleaning station of Manta Reef, in the Tofo area.

Many sites are famous for their huge schools of tropical fish. You are also likely to come across the great classics: tuna, barracuda, marlin and more.

Macro enthusiasts will not be disappointed either, with, depending on the site, a great diversity of nudibranchs, leaf fish, Spanish dancers, shrimps and more.

In any case, you certainly won’t be disappointed if you come diving in Mozambique.

One final point before ending this article: a quick thought about the different ways to discover the country for diving. You have two options: either organise your trip to Mozambique yourself, or choose an agency offering all-inclusive holidays in the country. To each their own!

That said, in my opinion, there are a few important things to know:

• Mozambique is not really a touristy country, and it will not be that easy to find all the information you need on site to organise your stay, your journeys, hotels, and so on. For people who are not used to travelling independently, it is certainly not the easiest destination to start with, especially as most of the population does not speak English,
• You will need to plan around €2,500-3,000 to spend 10 days diving in Mozambique on an all-inclusive trip. That is a lot of money. I didn’t do the calculation to know whether it was more cost-effective than organising it yourself,
• Deciding to travel to Mozambique independently is not impossible in itself. It will also certainly be an opportunity to meet local people and immerse yourself much more in local life and culture. I really enjoyed my week in Pemba and the Quirimbas Archipelago, and we had decided to organise the trip ourselves. This obviously means waiting for a hypothetical bus, which eventually does arrive, at 4 am on the edge of a big junction, spending 10 hours in a minibus, packed in like sardines with everything imaginable inside, waiting a few hours for a local boat to take me to Ibo, and so on. I admit that taking a flight from Pemba to Ibo would have been much faster, but it would also have been a very different experience. Marie-Laure, for her part, had the opportunity to take the plane. She tells us about her experience and the superb discovery of the islands by plane!

“By plane, you see another side of the Quirimbas: all the private islands welcoming wealthy Europeans, most often on honeymoon, tiny islands that generally have only one luxury hotel, heavenly beaches and often a diving centre… with, of course, a small runway for the plane to land. That is what I took to go to Ibo and, although the pilot dropped me off first on the way there, on the way back we went around all these small islands to drop people off and bring me back to Pemba last.”

That brings us to the end of this article about diving in Mozambique. From what I saw, you can really enjoy a diving trip in this country. If I still lived in the area, I would have returned with great pleasure to discover all the dive sites I couldn’t visit at the time and that Marie-Laure happily told me about.

If you like the African atmosphere, you should have a look at the things to do on the island of Mayotte, a pearl of the Indian Ocean.

I wish you a wonderful trip,

Sylvain