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Tanzania2 dive sites
You can dive Zanzibar year-round, in water from 26 °C in August to 29 °C in March, with the best visibility from July to October. The rains of April, May and November cancel some trips, especially to Leven Bank. Humpback whales pass offshore from July to September.
In Nungwi, two dives cost US$90 to US$120 and ten dives US$410 to US$490. The Mnemba trip adds US$30 to US$50, plus US$10 in entrance fees per day. Leven Bank charges no fee.
Zanzibar airport receives Air France from Paris, KLM from Amsterdam and flights via Doha, Istanbul or Nairobi. Dive centers in Nungwi, Kendwa and Matemwe include transfers from hotels in their area. The visa costs US$50, and the Zanzibar travel insurance US$44.
TanzaniaPelagicLeven Bank is an isolated seamount in the Pemba Channel, about ten kilometers from Nungwi, with a plateau rising to 14 meters from 200 meters of water.
TanzaniaReefMnemba Atoll is an oval reef around a private islet, 3 kilometers off the northeast coast of Zanzibar, in a marine protected area, home to green turtles, dolphins and some 600 fish species from...
Zanzibar, properly called Unguja, is dived from three bases. In the north, Nungwi and Kendwa host most of the dive centers, led by Spanish Dancer Divers and TGI Diving. This is where boats leave for Leven Bank, Tumbatu and the northern reefs, and for day trips to Mnemba. On the east coast, Matemwe faces Mnemba Atoll, twenty minutes away by boat. Stone Town, finally, is worth it for its nearby reefs and wrecks, less for the flagship sites. Dive centers include transfers from hotels in their area and head out every morning, two dives per half day.
Mnemba Atoll, a marine protected area in the northeast, is the most dived site on the island: coral slopes from 2 to 30 meters at Kichwani and Wattabomi, the Aquarium from 10 to 24 meters, a wall that drops below 35 meters for the most experienced, green turtles, spinner dolphins and visibility that often exceeds 20 meters. You can dive it from Open Water. Leven Bank, about ten kilometers north of Nungwi, is an isolated bank in the Pemba Channel: the plateau rises to 14 meters, the slopes run past 40, the current is strong and the big fish turn up, tuna, trevallies and barracudas. Advanced is required. Tumbatu, the reserve island in the northwest, offers a calm dive from 3 to 20 meters for all levels.
The water ranges from 26 °C in August to 29 °C in March. Visibility is best from July to October, 20 to 30 meters, while the long rains of April and May and the short rains of November reduce it. Humpback whales pass offshore from July to September. Whale sharks are possible from September to December around Mnemba, with no guarantee at all.
At TGI Diving in Nungwi, two dives cost US$90 if you book online and US$100 on site, ten dives US$410 to US$455, full gear US$20 to US$25 a day, and the Mnemba trip US$45 to US$50 extra. At Spanish Dancer Divers, the two-dive package is US$120 with gear and pickup in Nungwi or Kendwa, the Mnemba surcharge US$30, and ten dives US$490. From Matemwe, Zanzibar Dive sells two dives at Mnemba for US$120, gear included. The entrance fee for the Mnemba marine area has been US$10 per adult per day since September 1, 2025, and US$5 for children aged 5 to 15.
Zanzibar International Airport receives KLM from Amsterdam, Air France from Paris, Qatar Airways, Turkish Airlines, Ethiopian Airlines, Kenya Airways and Oman Air via their hubs, and seasonal flights from Frankfurt and Zurich. Since October 1, 2024, every foreign visitor must buy the Zanzibar travel insurance, US$44, on top of the US$50 Tanzanian visa. Coastal Aviation links Zanzibar to Pemba in 30 minutes, for US$100 plus US$20 in taxes, and to Mafia via Dar es Salaam.
Hotels, apartments and rooms around Matemwe, the starting point for dives at Mnemba Atoll, with current prices.