KRONBERG - Dar es Salaam & Offshore Islands
Kronberg, she’s a peculiar one. Scuttled way back in 1915 to prevent her falling into British hands, this steamship was originally meant to supply the German cruiser SMS Königsberg. Now, she rests in just two metres of water, almost entirely exposed at low tide, in Manza Bay up near Tanga. We love how accessible she is, perfect for an extended snorkel or a very, very shallow dive. You can literally walk out to her at certain tides. The wreck herself is quite broken up, but you get a real sense of her scale, especially the massive propeller shaft. Schools of snappers and rabbitfish often mill around the deeper pockets of wreckage, and we’ve spotted morays peeking from the nooks. It’s a fantastic spot for photographers looking for something a bit different, where the light plays beautifully off the rusted metal. Our tip: go at mid-tide when there’s enough water to swim over her, but the structure is still clearly defined by the surface. It’s less a deep exploration and more an atmospheric encounter with history.
- Location
- Dar es Salaam & Offshore Islands, Tanzania, Indian Ocean & East Africa
- Coordinates
- -4.902778, 39.155556
- Type
- wreck
- Maximum Depth
- 2m
Marine Protected Area: Forest Reserve Name Unknown (TZA) (Mangrove) No.10
Best Time to Dive in Dar es Salaam & Offshore Islands
The warmest water temperatures in Dar es Salaam & Offshore Islands occur in April, averaging 29.3°C. The coolest conditions are in August at 25.5°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 28.2°C
- February: 28.6°C
- March: 29.2°C
- April: 29.3°C
- May: 28.1°C
- June: 27.1°C
- July: 25.9°C
- August: 25.5°C
- September: 25.8°C
- October: 26.7°C
- November: 27.6°C
- December: 28.7°C
Nearby Dive Sites in Dar es Salaam & Offshore Islands
- Aquarium (reef)
- Big Wall - 15-40m (wall)
- Big Wall (wall)
- Captain Muddy - 10-30m (wreck)
- Club 54 - 10-25m (reef)
- Diving spot - 5-20m (reef)
- End of the world
- Fundo Gap
- Fungu Yasini Island (reef)
- HMS Pegasus (wreck)
- Lighthouse
- Little Wall (wall)
- Little Wall - 15-40m (wall)
- Mandela Wall (wall)
- MARKGRAF - 2m (wreck)
Nearest Dive Centres to KRONBERG
Marine Life in Dar es Salaam & Offshore Islands
Home to 55 recorded species including 33 reef fish, 14 seagrass & algae, 2 other, 2 sea snails & nudibranchs, 1 clams & mussels, 1 starfish.
Notable Species
- Marbled Parrotfish (Leptoscarus vaigiensis) - Reef Fish
- Cigar wrasse (Cheilio inermis) - Reef Fish
- Hooded oyster (Saccostrea cuccullata) - Clams & Mussels
- Spangled emperor (Lethrinus nebulosus) - Reef Fish
- Silver-streaked rainbowfish (Stethojulis strigiventer) - Reef Fish
- cymodocea (Cymodocea rotundata) - Seagrass & Algae
- thalassia (Thalassia hemprichii) - Seagrass & Algae
- Crested Sabretooth Blenny (Petroscirtes mitratus) - Reef Fish
- Alligator pipefish (Syngnathoides biaculeatus) - Reef Fish
- Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas)
- mangrove (Rhizophora mucronata) - Seagrass & Algae
- seagrass (Halophila ovalis) - Seagrass & Algae
- Shoalgrass (Halodule wrightii) - Seagrass & Algae
- Short-head Sabretooth Blenny (Petroscirtes breviceps) - Reef Fish
- Bullethead Parrotfish (Chlorurus sordidus) - Reef Fish
- halodule (Halodule uninervis) - Seagrass & Algae
- gray mangrove (Avicennia marina) - Seagrass & Algae
- Flowery Flounder (Bothus mancus) - Reef Fish
- Species code: Tc (Thalassodendron ciliatum) - Seagrass & Algae
- Species code: Hs (Halophila stipulacea) - Seagrass & Algae
Recommended Packing List for KRONBERG
Based on average water temperature of 27.6°C, currents 33 cm/s.
- Shorty or Rashguard - warm 28°C water needs minimal exposure protection
- Mask - essential for every dive
- Fins (stiff blade recommended for strong currents)
- BCD - buoyancy compensator
- Regulator - your most safety-critical piece of gear
- Dive Computer - tracks depth, time, and NDL
- Surface Marker Buoy (SMB) - essential for boat pickups
- Dive Torch - useful for crevices and colour at depth
- Underwater Camera - capture your diving memories