Turtle Reef - Zanzibar & Pemba
Legend of Navo, just a quick three-minute boat trip from Natadola Beach, is a gentle introduction to Fiji's underwater world. It's a coral nursery site, which means you're seeing new coral growing, an encouraging sign for the reefs. We often bring our Open Water students here; with a maximum depth of 8 metres and average visibility around 11 metres, it's a calm spot to find your fins. You’ll see plenty of damselfish zipping around, clownfish in their anemones, and we've spotted triggerfish, lionfish, and even some sea snakes and stingrays. It’s not a deep thrill, but rather a peaceful swim through new growth, full of small, colourful life.
- Location
- Zanzibar & Pemba, Tanzania, Indian Ocean & East Africa
- Coordinates
- -5.837600, 39.392700
- Type
- reef
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)
Nearby Dive Sites in Zanzibar & Pemba
- Abbas reef (reef)
- Abbas reef (reef)
- ALMASI - 3m (wreck)
- Anemona City (reef)
- Anemona City (reef)
- Aquarium (reef)
- Aquarium (reef)
- Aquarium (reef)
- ATA - 0m (wreck)
- Barracuda Point
- Bawe Island - North (reef)
- Bawe Island - North (reef)
- Bawe South (cenote)
- Bawe South (reef)
- Cement wall (wall)
Nearest Dive Centres to Turtle Reef
- Awesome Ocean Diving Center - ["PADI"]
- Bawe Diving Center
- Bluewavediving-Zanzibar - ["PADI"]
- Buccaneer Diving - ["PADI"]
- Cool Zanzibar Water Sports - ["PADI"]
- Dive Horizons Zanzibar
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.
Notable Species
- thalassia (Thalassia hemprichii) - Seagrass & Algae
- Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas)
- Species code: Tc (Thalassodendron ciliatum) - Seagrass & Algae
- halodule (Halodule uninervis) - Seagrass & Algae
- cymodocea (Cymodocea rotundata) - Seagrass & Algae
- Humpbacked conch (Gibberulus gibberulus) - Sea Snails & Nudibranchs
- cowry (Monetaria moneta) - Sea Snails & Nudibranchs
- cloth-of-gold cone snail (Conus textile) - Sea Snails & Nudibranchs
- Golden-Yellow Cone (Conus flavidus) - Sea Snails & Nudibranchs
- Rock Cod (Cephalopholis boenak) - Reef Fish
- Brown Frillfin (Bathygobius fuscus) - Reef Fish
- Long-beaked Dolphin (Stenella longirostris) - Whales & Dolphins
- Cigar wrasse (Cheilio inermis) - Reef Fish
- Species code: Hs (Halophila stipulacea) - Seagrass & Algae
- Sand-dusted Cone (Conus arenatus) - Sea Snails & Nudibranchs
- Pronghorn Spiny Lobster (Panulirus penicillatus) - Crabs & Lobsters
- Grouper (Epinephelus areolatus) - Reef Fish
- Coelacanth (Latimeria chalumnae)
- Sea lettuce (Ulva lactuca) - Seagrass & Algae
- Pufferfish (Arothron hispidus) - Reef Fish
Recommended Packing List for Turtle Reef
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