Zanzibar is a semi-autonomous archipelago of the Tanzanian Coast which is 20 to 24km of the main coast. It consists of a number of islands with the main one being Unguja and the second largest being Pemba. The capital of this archipelago is Zanzibar City with its main center being Stone Town. One of the main attractions of Zanzibar is the many coral beaches surrounding it. These beaches attract a lot of attention and are quite a few in number. The following are the best spots across the islands.
Mnemba Atoll: Thought to be the best diving spot in the whole island, it has a variety of things to offer. It is great for beginners and experienced divers and due to the circular island shape, it is sheltered from drifts and has great visibility for up to 30 meters. It is the most famous and has turtles and dolphins as part of the attraction. To go diving there are a few diving centers with the most popular one being One Ocean. It has three bases which are Matemwe Beach Village, Matemwe Bungalows and Stone Town. Zanzibar Watersports is also great for more experienced divers. For easy logistics, it’s better to stay at the hotels associated with the dive center.
Big Wall is in Mnemba area and it makes it a great diving area for experienced divers and only when there is slack tide. It faces the open ocean and has a lot of drift. It is exciting as it contains many caves to explore. The depth is 55 meters at its deepest. There a lot of dolphins, rainbow runners, lobsters, tuna and trevally all over the place.
Watabomi is another popular dive site. It has a depth of 30 m and is great for beginners and experienced divers alike. It has very beautiful plate coral and on a good day tiger fish, angel fish, stripped dolphins and turtles can be spotted.
Levenbank is one of the most beautiful and highly recommended dives in Zanzibar. It is a mountain that has its peak out in the ocean and is in the deep blue waters of the Indian Ocean. It contains all kinds of fish like Barracudas and gigantic Moray eels. It has a depth of up to 50 meters and is for advanced and experienced divers only. It is great for drift diving and offers some challenging conditions for divers who are into that sort of thing.
For photographic divers, Magic Reef/ Shanes/Shemzi is the place to visit. It has a lot of unique and picturesque things to offer. There are colorful sea horses, leaf fish, turtle, Moray and all sorts of underwater goodness to discover. It has of 25 meters. It is suited for a more experienced diver though, because of the challenging diving conditions.
If you are down for adventure consider paying a visit to Haunted Wall. This is on Timbatu Island. It is not as popular as all the other dive sites and is a little more isolated which is great for getting away from the crowd during the high season. It has a wide variety of fish like rays, eels and green turtles. Divers of all levels can swim here. It is relatively safe.
Zanzibar is a beautiful place with a lot of cultural heritage which is fiercely and proudly preserved by the population. The people understand the beauty of their nation is to be shared but also to be protected. The conservation efforts that are going on in the face of modernization are a great testament to Zanzibar making an effort to accommodate but still retain a sense of their character.