Coast & Islands
Mafia Island
Tanzania's untouched marine paradise
About Mafia Island
Mafia Island is Zanzibar's quiet sister — a low-key archipelago ringed by the protected reefs of Mafia Island Marine Park. Between October and March, whale sharks gather off its shores, and swimming beside these gentle giants is a life-list experience.
The diving and snorkelling are among the best in the Indian Ocean, the sandbanks are empty, and the pace is wonderfully slow. Mafia is the connoisseur's beach finish to a Tanzania safari.
Wildlife
What You'll See
- Whale Shark
- Green Turtle
- Reef fish
- Dolphins
Activities
What You Can Do
- Whale-shark swims
- Diving & snorkelling
- Sandbank picnics
- Dhow sailing
Underwater
Mafia Island: Whale Sharks and Untouched Reef
Mafia lies south of Zanzibar and receives a fraction of its visitors, which is exactly why people who know the Tanzanian coast choose it. There are no crowds, no high-rise hotels and no beach hawkers — just a handful of small lodges, fishing villages, and one of the healthiest coral reef systems in the Indian Ocean.
Mafia Island Marine Park was among the first in East Africa and protects an extraordinary range of coral, with over 400 fish species recorded in Chole Bay alone. The diving and snorkelling are the main draw, and the reef here escaped much of the bleaching that damaged sites further north.
From roughly October to March, whale sharks gather in the shallow waters off the north-west coast to feed on plankton. They are present in numbers, they are reliable, and snorkelling alongside the largest fish in the sea is what most visitors come specifically to do. Green turtles nest on the beaches, and humpback whales pass offshore between July and September.
What you do
Mafia Highlights
Swimming with whale sharks
From October to March, in shallow coastal water, snorkelling rather than diving. Among the most reliable whale shark encounters anywhere in the world.
Diving Chole Bay
Protected, sheltered reef with over 400 recorded fish species, healthy hard coral and excellent visibility. Suitable for beginners and serious divers alike.
Turtle nesting
Green turtles nest on the island beaches, with a community conservation programme that runs monitored hatchling releases.
Genuine quiet
A few small lodges and no mass tourism. If Zanzibar feels too busy, this is the alternative people choose.
Planning
Mafia Island FAQs
When can I swim with whale sharks?
Roughly October to March, with the most reliable months being November through February. The sharks feed in shallow water off the north-west coast during this period and encounters are snorkel-based rather than dives. Outside that window they move offshore and sightings become a matter of luck. If whale sharks are your reason for coming, book inside that season.
Mafia or Zanzibar?
Zanzibar for beaches, history, nightlife and choice of hotels; Mafia for diving, whale sharks and near-total quiet. Mafia has fewer lodges, less to do on land and no equivalent of Stone Town — which is precisely the appeal for the people who go. Divers and anyone who found Zanzibar too developed should choose Mafia.
How do I get to Mafia?
Light aircraft from Dar es Salaam takes about thirty minutes, and there are also connections from Zanzibar and the southern parks. There is no ferry service worth recommending for visitors. The short flight from Dar es Salaam makes Mafia easy to attach to a southern-circuit safari at Nyerere or Ruaha.
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