Diving in Zanzibar & Pemba
Explore 79 dive sites in Zanzibar & Pemba, Tanzania. Ocean conditions, marine species, and dive centres.
Best Time to Dive in Zanzibar & Pemba
The warmest water temperatures in Zanzibar & Pemba occur in January, averaging 28.1°C. The coolest conditions are in December at 28.1°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 28.1°C (air: 27.5°C)
- February: 28.1°C (air: 27.9°C)
- March: 28.1°C (air: 27.7°C)
- April: 28.1°C (air: 26.1°C)
- May: 28.1°C (air: 26.1°C)
- June: 28.1°C (air: 25.4°C)
- July: 28.1°C (air: 24.8°C)
- August: 28.1°C (air: 24.9°C)
- September: 28.1°C (air: 25.4°C)
- October: 28.1°C (air: 26.2°C)
- November: 28.1°C (air: 26.7°C)
- December: 28.1°C (air: 27.3°C)
Marine Life in Zanzibar & Pemba
Home to 331 recorded species including 266 reef fish, 14 sea snails & nudibranchs, 10 seagrass & algae, 8 hard corals, 8 sharks & rays, 7 sea cucumbers.
Recommended Packing List for Zanzibar & Pemba
Based on average water temperature of 28.1°C.
- Shorty or Rashguard - warm 28°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
Marine Protected Areas in Zanzibar & Pemba
- Maziwe Island - Marine Reserve (IUCN Category II)
- Ras Kiuyu - Forest Reserve (IUCN Category Not Reported)
- Chumbe Island Coral Park (CHICOP) - Sanctuary and Closed Forest Reserve (IUCN Category II)
- Menai Bay - Conservation Area (IUCN Category VI)
- Misali Island - Conservation Area (IUCN Category VI)
- Forest Reserve Name Unknown (TZA) (Mangrove) No.10 - Forest Reserve (IUCN Category Not Reported)
- Forest Reserve Name Unknown (TZA) (Mangrove) No.18 - Forest Reserve (IUCN Category Not Reported)
- Forest Reserve Name Unknown (TZA) (Mangrove) No.19 - Forest Reserve (IUCN Category Not Reported)
- Mangroves (Mikindani) - Forest Reserve (IUCN Category Not Reported)
- Dar es Salaam - Marine Reserve (IUCN Category Not Reported)
- Pemba Channel Conservation Area - Conservation Area (IUCN Category Not Reported)
- Mangrove - Forest Reserve (IUCN Category Not Reported)
- Mangrove - Forest Reserve (IUCN Category Not Reported)
- Mangrove - Forest Reserve (IUCN Category Not Reported)
- Mangrove - Forest Reserve (IUCN Category Not Reported)
- Mangrove - Forest Reserve (IUCN Category Not Reported)
- Mangrove - Forest Reserve (IUCN Category Not Reported)
- Mangrove - Forest Reserve (IUCN Category Not Reported)
- Mangrove - Forest Reserve (IUCN Category Not Reported)
- Mangrove - Forest Reserve (IUCN Category Not Reported)
- Mangrove - Forest Reserve (IUCN Category Not Reported)
- Mangrove - Forest Reserve (IUCN Category Not Reported)
- Mangrove - Forest Reserve (IUCN Category Not Reported)
- Mangrove - Forest Reserve (IUCN Category Not Reported)
- Mangrove - Forest Reserve (IUCN Category Not Reported)
- Mangrove - Forest Reserve (IUCN Category Not Reported)
- Mangrove - Forest Reserve (IUCN Category Not Reported)
- Mangrove - Forest Reserve (IUCN Category Not Reported)
- Mangrove - Forest Reserve (IUCN Category Not Reported)
- Mangrove - Forest Reserve (IUCN Category Not Reported)
- Mangrove - Forest Reserve (IUCN Category Not Reported)
- Mangrove - Forest Reserve (IUCN Category Not Reported)
- Mangrove - Forest Reserve (IUCN Category Not Reported)
Getting to Zanzibar & Pemba - Nearest Airports
- Abeid Amani Karume International Airport (ZNZ), Zanzibar - 23 km away, approx 40 min travel time
- Julius Nyerere International Airport (DAR), Dar es Salaam - 92 km away, approx 116 min travel time
- Moi International Airport (MBA), Mombasa - 226 km away, approx 262 min travel time
Dive Sites
- Abbas reef (-6.4404, 39.4585)
- Abbas reef (-6.4404, 39.4585)
- ALMASI - 3m (-6.8433, 39.2944)
- Anemona City (-6.4485, 39.4564)
- Anemona City (-6.4485, 39.4564)
- Aquarium (-6.1779, 39.1283)
- Aquarium (-5.8263, 39.3816)
- Aquarium (-5.8263, 39.3816)
- ATA - 0m (-5.8375, 39.4028)
- Barracuda Point (-6.2729, 39.5532)
- Bawe Island - North (-6.1437, 39.1339)
- Bawe Island - North (-6.1437, 39.1339)
- Bawe South (-6.1538, 39.1356)
- Bawe South (-6.1538, 39.1356)
- Cement wall (-6.3202, 39.5781)
- CHYKO - 5m (-6.9000, 39.5167)
- COLEEN - 2m (-6.1500, 39.1917)
- Coral Garden (-5.8160, 39.3829)
- Coral Garden (-5.9840, 39.3997)
- Coral Garden Reef (-5.8361, 39.3899)
- GLORONGAY - 9m (-5.7667, 39.4000)
- GREAT NORTHERN - 6m (-6.1706, 39.1472)
- Great Wall (-5.8038, 39.4158)
- Groopers Rock (-5.8179, 39.3721)
- Groupers Rocks, Mnemba Island (-5.8229, 39.3802)
- Haji (-5.7357, 39.3284)
- Haunted Wall (-5.7742, 39.2162)
- HauntedWall / Ras Misikitini (-5.8199, 39.2125)
- Hunga (-5.7347, 39.2206)
- Jackfish Alley (-5.8171, 39.4168)
- Jambiani Lagoon (-6.3065, 39.5583)
- Kichafi (-5.7381, 39.3338)
- Kichwani (-5.8403, 39.3957)
- Kichwani (-5.8299, 39.3843)
- KONIG - 2m (-6.8247, 39.2983)
- Lagoon Mounding (-6.2944, 39.5564)
- Leon’s Wall (-5.7892, 39.3561)
- Leven bank (-5.6302, 39.3059)
- Levenbank (-5.7033, 39.2916)
- LORD MILNER - 15m (-6.7633, 39.3017)
- MARINASI I - 3m (-6.8511, 39.2986)
- Mbwangawa (-5.7175, 39.3155)
- Memba 1 (-5.8378, 39.3910)
- Memba 2 (-5.8281, 39.3826)
- Misoli Reef (-5.7747, 39.3567)
- Mnemba Sandbanks (-5.8339, 39.3875)
- Moore Bank (-6.4576, 39.3602)
- MOWE - 0m (-6.8653, 39.2972)
- MTWARA - 49m (-5.8017, 39.1650)
- Mwana Wa Mwana (-5.7595, 39.2189)
- Nankivell (-5.7371, 39.2097)
- Napoleon Wall (-6.3634, 39.5881)
- Nyumba Ya Casa (-5.7214, 39.3158)
- One Palm (-6.4664, 39.5425)
- Pange North (-6.1870, 39.1525)
- Pawoni Hill (-6.3297, 39.5795)
- PENGUIN - 22m (-6.1773, 39.1407)
- Pinnacle (-6.2246, 39.1489)
- Pungume Patches (-6.4735, 39.3879)
- Renco (-5.7443, 39.2887)
- Sand Banks (-5.8314, 39.4093)
- Sau Inn Garden (-6.3275, 39.5788)
- Seahorse (-5.8217, 39.3802)
- Shane’s (-5.7195, 39.2902)
- Shetani / Three Turtles (-5.8289, 39.2116)
- SLEMMESTAD - 4m (-6.7611, 39.3144)
- Small Wall, Mnenba Island (-5.8318, 39.3856)
- SSI Freediving (-5.7403, 39.2989)
- Stingray city (-6.3015, 39.5584)
- TABORA - 10m (-6.8408, 39.2964)
- The Big Wall (-5.8142, 39.4185)
- The Great Northern (-6.1748, 39.1502)
- Tumbatu Lagoon (-5.8211, 39.2341)
- Turtle Reef (-5.8376, 39.3927)
- Turtle Reef (-5.8183, 39.4167)
- Watabomi (-5.8327, 39.3898)
- Wattabomi - 5-12m (-5.8287, 39.3831)
- West Gardens (-5.8204, 39.3795)
- Woo south (-6.3540, 39.5851)
Dive Centres
- Awesome Ocean Diving Center - https://travel.padi.com/dive-center/tanzania/awesome-ocean-diving-center/
- Bawe Diving Center - https://www.divessi.com/divecenter/725542
- Bluewavediving-Zanzibar - https://travel.padi.com/dive-center/tanzania/bluewavediving-zanzibar/
- Buccaneer Diving - http://www.buccaneerdiving.com
- Cool Zanzibar Water Sports - http://www.coolzanzibar.com
- Dive Horizons Zanzibar - https://divehorizonszanzibar.com/
- Dive Point Zanzibar - http://www.divepointzanzibar.com
- Dive Time Zanzibar - https://www.divetimezanzibar.com
- Eagle Ray Water Sports - https://travel.padi.com/dive-center/tanzania/eagle-ray-water-sports/
- EGYPTIAN ZANZI LIMITID - https://www.instagram.com/dive_for_life2020/
- Fumba Water Sports - http://www.fumbabeachlodge.com
- Kasa Diving - https://travel.padi.com/dive-center/tanzania/kasa-diving/
- Mnemba Island Lodge - http://www.andbeyond.com
- Ocean Dive - http://www.oceandivezanzibar.com
- Ocean Wonder Dive Center - https://travel.padi.com/dive-center/tanzania/ocean-wonder-dive-center/
- One Ocean Zanzibar - https://www.zanzibaroneocean.com
- Rising Sun Dive Center - https://travel.padi.com/dive-center/tanzania/rising-sun-dive-center/
- Scuba Blue Zanzibar - https://www.scubabluezanzibar.com
- ScubaCaribe Zanzibar - http://www.scubacaribe.com
- Scubafish Dive Center Ltd - http://www.scubafishzanzibar.com
- Spanish Dancer Divers - http://www.divinginzanzibar.com
- SSI Freediving
- TGI - https://www.tgidiving.com/diving-center/indian-ocean/zanzibar-emerald/
- Zanzibar Watersports @ Kendwa Rocks - http://www.zanzibarwatersports.com