Diving Mnemba

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Discover the magic of scuba diving in Mnemba Island | Reef Guide

Top Dive Locations

Dive into the world-renowned underwater beauty of Mnemba Island, Zanzibar’s premier marine conservation area. Enjoy exceptional visibility, vibrant marine life, and incredible dive sites tailored for all experience levels. 

Browse our collection of hand-picked reef profiles below and explore these sites with our locally-owned PADI Dive Resort in Nungwi.

An informative map showcasing the premier dive sites in Northern Zanzibar. Key locations such as Tumbatu, Nungwi, Leven Bank, and Mnemba Island are clearly marked, highlighting the best spots for underwater exploration and coral reef discovery.
Coral Grouper in the vibrant coral reef at Kichwani dive site, Mnemba Island Zanzibar.

Kichwani

Level 
Snorkelers, beginner & qualified divers

Depth 
2-30 meters

Type 
Sloping wall

Highlights 
Bluefin trevallys, napoleon wrasses, moray eels, triggerfish, scorpionfish, leaf fish, mackerels, nudibranchs, schools of colorful reef fish and many more. On occasion you may spot a whitetip reef shark.

Kichwani is our most beautiful dive site, situated to the southeast of Mnemba Island. The famous reef features a sloping wall ranging in depth from 2 to 30 meters. It is covered with hard and soft corals interspersed with a huge variety of marine life. With a mild current, you can enjoy a drift dive along the wall.

Octopus on the coral reef at Wattabomie dive site, Mnemba Island Zanzibar.

Wattabomie

Level 
Experienced & inexperienced divers

Depth 
6-30 meters

Type 
Coral reef

Highlights 
Groupers, bluefin trevallys, kingfish, baracudas, napoleon wrasses, triggerfish, snappers, octopuses, frogfish, moray eels, mantishrimps, nudibranchs, indian ocean walkmen and many more.

Wattabomie is a fantastic dive site, situated to the south of Mnemba Island. The famous reef features a gentle slope ranging in depth from 6 to 30 meters, making it ideal for relaxed diving. Its unique bottom composition combines amazing bommie coral formations and a large area of marvellous plate coral. Countless species of tropical reef fish shoaling around the plate coral make a picturesque mid-water encounter and attract many predators. You can spot the occasional green sea turtle. It may happen that bottlenose dolphins interrupt our dive to engage with us.

Whitetip reef shark hiding in the coral reef at Small Wall dive site, Mnemba Island Zanzibar.

Small Wall

Level 
Experienced & inexperienced divers

Depth 
5-30+ meters

Type 
Small wall

Highlights 
Groupers, moray eels, torpedo rays, scorpionfish, bluespotted ribbontail rays, leaf scorpionfish, nudibranchs and many more.

Small Wall is a marvellous dive site, situated to the southeast of Mnemba Island. The famous reef is a sloping wall with a steep gradient and a depth range from 5 to 30+ meters. In the shallow part, many species of colorful reef fish are shoaling. With a mild current, you can enjoy a drift dive along the wall. The more experienced divers can go deeper and occasionally spot whitetip reef sharks, napoleon wrasses or sea turtles.

Big Wall

Level 
Experienced advanced divers

Depth 
18-35+ meters

Type 
Big wall

Highlights 
Napoleon wrasses, tunas, rainbow runners, groupers, lobsters, barracudas, bigeyes.

Big Wall is an advanced deep dive site situated to the east of Mnemba Island in Zanzibar. The reef is a vertical wall located in the open sea, dropping down from 18 to 35+ meters. Due to the current and depth, this location is suitable for experienced advanced divers only. It features overhangs and caves to explore rather than extensive coral cover. With a strong current, you can enjoy an exciting drift dive, and on occasion, you may spot whitetip reef sharks and rays.