Pyramid - Mafia Island
Spanish Eyes sits off the eastern side of Home Island, a site we only ever manage to hit in the height of summer, or when those stubborn winter trade winds finally back off. The wreck itself is a yacht, well-broken now, which found its final resting place after a navigation error. The story adds a touch of melancholy, but what we really love is how it's become a canvas for the reef. We drop onto a relatively shallow reef top, often greeted by that incredible 40-meter visibility Cocos is known for. The wreck is scattered, not a proud, intact vessel, but a collection of ribs and hull sections now encrusted with hard and soft corals. You’ll weave through coral bommies, spotting schools of cardinal soldierfish darting in and out, while blue surgeonfish graze the nearby reef. For the experienced divers, that drop-off just beyond the wreck is where the grey reef sharks and barracuda patrol, making for an exhilarating bounce dive. It’s a site that rewards a slow exploration, not a quick fly-by.
- Location
- Mafia Island, Tanzania, Indian Ocean & East Africa
- Coordinates
- -7.973200, 39.747600
- Type
- wreck
Marine Protected Area: Mangrove
Best Time to Dive in Mafia Island
The warmest water temperatures in Mafia Island occur in January, averaging 28.8°C. The coolest conditions are in December at 28.8°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 28.8°C (air: 27.8°C)
- February: 28.8°C (air: 28.0°C)
- March: 28.8°C (air: 27.8°C)
- April: 28.8°C (air: 27.0°C)
- May: 28.8°C (air: 26.9°C)
- June: 28.8°C (air: 26.0°C)
- July: 28.8°C (air: 25.2°C)
- August: 28.8°C (air: 25.0°C)
- September: 28.8°C (air: 25.3°C)
- October: 28.8°C (air: 26.1°C)
- November: 28.8°C (air: 27.0°C)
- December: 28.8°C (air: 27.7°C)
Nearby Dive Sites in Mafia Island
- Bwejuu Wall (wall)
- Bwejuu Wall (wall)
- Chekechea (reef)
- Chole Reef North (reef)
- Coral Gardens (reef)
- Coral Islands (reef)
- Corinne’s Reef (reef)
- Critters Alley (reef)
- Cryptomania (reef)
- Dindini Wall (wall)
- Hulls Rock (reef)
- Jina Wall (reef)
- Juani North (reef)
- Juani South (wall)
- Kasa (cave)
Nearest Dive Centres to Pyramid
- Action for Oceans Eco Dive - ["PADI"]
- Blue World Diving - ["PADI"]
- Mafia Island Diving ltd - PADI
Marine Life in Mafia Island
Home to 165 recorded species including 94 hard corals, 63 reef fish, 3 sharks & rays, 2 jellyfish, 1 other, 1 whales & dolphins.
Notable Species
- Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas)
- Allison's Tuna (Thunnus albacares) - Reef Fish
- Whale Shark (Rhincodon typus) - Sharks & Rays
- Stripy (Katsuwonus pelamis) - Reef Fish
- Bigeye tuna (Thunnus obesus) - Reef Fish
- Bullet Mackerel (Auxis thazard) - Reef Fish
- Tuna (Thunnus alalunga) - Reef Fish
- Sperm Whale (Physeter macrocephalus) - Whales & Dolphins
- Tail-spot Squirrelfish (Sargocentron caudimaculatum) - Reef Fish
- Cauliflower coral (Pocillopora verrucosa) - Hard Corals
- Smooth cauliflower coral (Stylophora pistillata) - Hard Corals
- Stony coral (Porites cylindrica) - Hard Corals
- Stony coral (Porites lutea) - Hard Corals
- Larger star coral (Favites pentagona) - Hard Corals
- Staghorn coral (Acropora aspera) - Hard Corals
- Staghorn coral (Acropora listeri) - Hard Corals
- Birdsnest coral (Seriatopora caliendrum) - Hard Corals
- Thin birdsnest coral (Seriatopora hystrix) - Hard Corals
- Staghorn coral (Acropora polystoma) - Hard Corals
- Closed brain coral (Leptoria phrygia) - Hard Corals
Recommended Packing List for Pyramid
Based on average water temperature of 28.8°C.
- Shorty or Rashguard - warm 29°C water needs minimal exposure protection
- Mask - essential for every dive
- Fins
- 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