Emerald
Reef |
Top
|
Max
Depth: 30m |
The average
visibility on this reef is 30m and derives its
name from the green coral covering the reef. It
is located on the Southern most point of Pemba
and subject to strong currents. There is a
gentle slope from 7 - 30m where many large brown
marbled grouper are found. Most varieties of
fishlife are found between 20 - 25m with
damselfish, goldies and fusiliers. A large
school of giant barracuda frequent the area. On
occasion hammerhead sharks have been seen. |
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Panza
Wreck |
Top
|
Max
Depth: 14m |
A shallow dive on an old 100m
long Greek freighter called the Paraportiani
which sunk in 1969 lying on an inside passage
between the outer and inner reefs. Can only dive
on a slack low or a slack high. Frequent strong
currents present. Best visibility on a slack
high when there is always a mild current
present. The stern, which is intact lies at a
depth of 7 - 9 m while the bow lies in 12 - 14
m. A large helm is still in place. A great
variety of fish, with hundreds of glassfish, a
resident juvenile napoleon wrasse, abundant
unicorn fish of different types, lionfish and
trevally. Also full of diverse marine life such
as crabs, nudibranchs, sponges and corals.
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Samaki
Reef |
Top
|
Max
Depth: 20m |
A large flat reef on
the edge of the Pemba Channel, 20 m+ depth. Best
for experienced divers as strong currents are
common. Scattered unspoilt corals richly
inhabited by diverse marine life. Look out for
lobster, octopus and moray eels hiding amongst
the bommies surrounded by large schools of
trevally, surgeon fish and fusiliers. |
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Misali
Big Blue |
Top
|
Max
Depth: 40m |
Experienced
divers only!! Drop into the blue and get swept
along Mesali's Southern Channel. You need eyes
in the back of your head for this dive as the
possibility of reef sharks, barracuda and giant
rays is high. |
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Makarere
Reef |
Top
|
Max
Depth: 30m+ |
An
interesting undulating reef set on a sandy slope
on Mesali's Southwestern edge. A series of coral
hillocks extend from the top of the reef at 8 -
10 m depth to the bottom at more than 30 m. The
corals are home to torpedo rays, moray eels and
lobsters along with many reef fish while the
sandy valleys are home to schools of surgeon and
unicorn fish, roaming napoleon wrasse and large
spotted eagle rays. This area is in dolphin
territory and you can often hear a pod of
friendly spinners nearby. |
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Misali
Coral Garden - Razorback Reef |
Top
|
Max
Depth: 45m |
The coral
garden runs North - South mainly conducted as a
drift dive. Consists of a multitude of different
corals all in extremely good condition. At its
Southernmost point the corals might not be at
their best but turtles can be sighted here. The
whole site has at lest three resident Napoleon
Fish varying in size. The Razorback Reef and a
further deep reef for experienced divers can be
included on this dive. The inside face of the
razorback reaches 30 m while the outside face
reaches 40 m. Excellent fish life all around
this reef. The deep reef can be looked at from
the top at 45 m from where very large Napoleon
Fish have been seen and a 2.5 m bull shark. |
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Misali
Coral Mountain |
Top
|
Max
Depth: 45m+ |
Rose coral dominates
this beautiful mountainous site to which are
attracted some unusual fish such as the leaf
fish. Octopus and lobsters can be seen here and
manta rays have been spotted passing through the
area. Depths reach 80 m. Many other game fish
such as dog tooth tuna, rainbow runner and
trevally hunt on the mountain and blue striped
fusiliers abound. |
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Mapinduzi |
Top
|
Max
Depth: 45m+ |
A wall
dive dropping to 45 m with large gorgonians and
fan corals adorning its sides. This site has
also had sightings of manta rays, big shoals of
barracuda and sharks. Giant triggerfish live
here in large numbers. They are Pemban triggers
and are not aggressive. |
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Uvinje
Gap |
Top
|
Max
Depth: 40m |
Spectacular
sheer wall dropping to over 40 m with
breathtaking overhangs and numerous fish such as
moorish idols, butterfly and angelfish hiding
amongst the black corals commonplace in this
area. Large groupers and napoleon wrasse can be
spotted at depth. Plenty of life in the shallows
with thousands of goldies playing amongst the
large coral bommies. |
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Uvinje
Outer Walls |
Top
|
Max
Depth: 40m+ |
The coral on the North wall
is in excellent condition with large gorgonians
and fan corals surrounded by the thousands of
ever-present goldies. Manta and spotted eagle
rays are known to frequent the area as well as
giant reef rays and hawksbill and green turtles.
Schools of tuna and barracuda and large napoleon
wrasse have been seen here. The top of the site
starts at 7 m and in places terraces down to
below 40 m.The South Wall starts at 6 m and
drops again to 40 m+. Here again you may see
Napoleon Fish, large grouper and some pelagics.
Here let the current swing you into the gap
along the spectacular sheer wall.
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The
Balcony |
Top
|
Max
Depth: 30m+ |
A deep
wall from 7 m to 100m + covered in seawhips and
gorgonian fans with a giant overhang hence the
name. Look out for large napoleon wrasse, big
mackerel, jackfish and large numbers of
fusiliers. |
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The
Cave |
Top
|
Max
Depth: 30m+ |
|
The top of the reef is
a shallow 4 m sandy bottom with a sheer cliff
face dropping down to more than 100 m. A cave is
found on this wall at depth - but we do not
penetrate. Large pelagics are ever present and
the currents can be strong. Look out for turtles
on the wall. |
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Fundu
South Wall |
Top
|
Max
Depth: 40m+ |
Strong
currents can be present and as on many dives in
Pemba only recommended for experienced divers.
The reef lies from 5 m to 40 m +. Shallow
caverns and sheer wall faces make up the
topography of this wall with superb coral
formations and plentiful fish life. Kingfish,
jacks, barracuda and napoleons are present with
humphead parrotfish and sweetlips swimming
around the yellow fans. |
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Manta
Point |
Top
|
Max
Depth: 40m |
A coral
pinnacle reaching up from 40 m to within 8 m of
the surface situated just outside the mouth of
Fundu Gap. Due to its name you would expect
typical luck to not provide manta ray sightings
- however they do still come into this area
occasionally to visit a cleaning station or
cruising out of the blue at any depth. The
pinnacle is covered in beautiful dense corals
and drops dramatically on its Western side. The
abundance of fish on this reef makes it a superb
dive, one of the best - with or without the
coveted manta ray. Circling the pinnacle you can
watch the behaviour of large jack fish, schools
of surgeonfish and fusiliers, the occasional
reef shark and turtle. |
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The
Gauntlet |
Top
|
Max
Depth: 25m |
This
exilherating dive at Fundu Gap is best on an
incoming tide dropping into the water at the top
end of the reef at around 10 m where we can find
a series of pretty coral bommies to swim over
and down to 25 m where you will find yourself on
top of the wall and being swept into the Gap and
across the Gauntlet. This can be extremely quick
so sit back and enjoy the ride. Interesting
overhangs and rock formations caused by deep
fissures into the cliff face are a spectacle. |
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Mandela
Wall |
Top
|
Max
Depth: 15m |
The top of Mandela
Wall is between 8 to 15 m deep and drops
dramatically to 200 m + in some parts. The
vertical drop is adorned with gorgonian sea fans
and whip corals. Keep eyes peeled for large
pelagics and also for the beautiful manta ray
passing by. |
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Njao
Gap |
Top
|
Max
Depth: 18m |
Njao Gap North is a beautiful
coral garden starting at 5 m and sloping down to
18 m before dropping away into the deep blue of
the wall. Resident green and hawksbill turtles
are a common sighting and the currents can be
strong and exhilerating. Njao Gap South is best
dived using the Northerly current to sweep you
inside. Drift dive this reef with large Nepoleon
Wrasse and look out for more turtles in the
cabbage corals which abound. As you enter the
gap look out for Manta Rays as the bottom again
drops away to form a breathtaking immense
vertical wall reaching undiveable depths.
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