Zanzibar Snorkeling Diving Full Day Tour Mnemba Atoll

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Zanzibar Snorkeling Diving Full-Day Tour Mnemba Atoll is a sea safari excursion (0900 Hours to 1500 Hours) and is a great day out, not to be missed. It includes world-class snorkeling at the famous Mnemba Island reef, a marine conservation area, followed by a scrumptious seafood barbeque on the idyllic Muyuni beach.

Mnemba Island is 3.2 km/ 2 miles off the northeast coast of Zanzibar island (Unguja). You reach Mnemba Island reef by boat, mainly from Nungwi (Ras Nungwi) – a fishing village and dhow building centre which is a 1 hour 30 minutes drive from Stone Town.

It takes about 40 minutes to reach the Mnemba Island reef snorkeling spot from Nungwi. Mnemba Island is a privately owned island with access restricted to guests of the luxurious AndBeyond Mnemba Island.

We drop you off directly at the Mnemba Island reef, which lies a few hundred yards from Mnemba Island. Mnemba Island reef is a Marine Conservation area, where you can admire corals and tropical fish that many of us have only seen in an aquarium, sea turtles, and dolphins.

Diving at Mnemba is stunning, on the inside it’s like being in a giant aquarium and the outside offers excellent wall and drift dives. The surrounding waters and area around Mnemba Island are an important breeding ground for Green Turtles while a host of migratory wading birds use the island as a secure roost.

The fragile coral reef ecosystems support countless fish species and microorganisms while gigantic Whale Sharks, Humpback Whales, and dolphins frequent the deeper waters. What makes Mnemba Atoll different from diving town is the amount of schooling fish, from Striped Snapper, Surgeon Fish and up to ten green Turtles can be seen on one dive.

If you look hard enough you will find the masters of disguising the Frog Fish who camouflage themselves so that they are not seen by predators.

The depth of the water is the same in all the reef areas (6 -16 feet/ 2 – 4 meters). On the sea bed, look out for blue starfish, Red-knobbed starfish, or the fearsome crown-of-thorns starfish, a poisonous, coral-eating species. Green turtles can occasionally be seen at this spot.

0730 Hours: This Zanzibar sea safari departs from Stone town (or your pick-up location in Zanzibar upon request) followed by a 1.5-hour trip on surface roads along the stunning north-east coast of Zanzibar to Nungwi (Ras Nungwi) – a fishing village and dhow building center.

0900 Hours: Depart Nungwi on a boat ride.

1000 Hours: After 45 minutes to an hour by boat we dive in the waters around Mnemba Island reef, a protected natural park, where you can admire corals and tropical fish that many of us have only seen in an aquarium, sea turtles, and dolphins.

Dolphin sightings are common. Two amazing snorkel sites await you at Mnemba, each very different from the other, from coral gardens to a steep reef that disappears into the abyss.

The depth of the water is the same in all the reef areas (6 -16 feet/ 2 – 4 meters). You will find yourself above a reef of varying quality (some areas are wonderfully preserved, while others seem damaged by the area’s high visitor numbers).

The reef is protected and fishing is forbidden, so the density of fish here is higher than in many other places in Zanzibar. In turn, you will come across shoals of dozens of Moorish idols, snappers, clownfish in their anemones, and a host of other species.

On the sea bed, look out for blue starfish, red-knobbed starfish, or the fearsome crown-of-thorns starfish, a poisonous, coral-eating species. Green turtles can occasionally be seen at this spot since they go to the island’s beaches to lay their eggs at certain times of the year. Snorkeling is done in 2 locations over about 1.5 hours – each swims around half an hour.

1300 Hours: After your second snorkeling trip you are heading from Mnemba Atoll to the opposite side, an area called Muyuni Beach. Here you can enjoy your lunch with fruit and drinks, mouth-watering seafood, and mixed grill barbeque.

You will have ample time after your lunch to relax on this beautiful secluded beach before your trip continues with a sail back to Nungwi. The excursion ends with a transfer back to the hotel/ residence in Zanzibar.

Zanzibar Snorkeling Diving Full-Day Tour Mnemba Atoll Rates includes:

Traditional dhow sailing + Hot and cold beverages + Beautiful marine life and corals + Amazing beach with stunning views + Snorkel guide, towels and equipment + Delicious seafood and mixed grill beach Barbeque & Snorkeling at Mnemba Atoll including Marine park fees

Notes

* Wear waterproof sunblock and a t-shirt over your swimsuit, this is only about 6 degrees south of the equator and the sun is quite fierce (You can burn quickly)!

Zanzibar Snorkeling Diving Full-Day Tour Mnemba Atoll Rates Do Not Include:

* Drinks
* Tips or gratuity
* Travelers insurance
* Communication charges
* Minimum of 1 person required
* Visas, international airfares and airport taxes; meals
* Sightseeing not included in the package; optional activities
* Personal expenses such as transfers to/ from the airport (supplement airport transfer cost applies for tours starting from the airport

Mnemba Island is an atoll set just off the northeast coast near Matemwe. Diving at Mnemba is stunning, on the inside it’s like being in a giant aquarium and the outside offers excellent wall and drift dives.

The island itself is a breeding ground for turtles and they are often seen gliding by along with dolphins, huge schools of fish, whale sharks, and humpbacks when in season. What makes Mnemba Atoll different from diving town is the amount of schooling fish, from Striped Snapper, Surgeon Fish and up to ten green Turtles can be seen on one dive.

If you look hard enough you will find the masters of disguise the Frog Fish who camouflage themselves so that they are not seen by predators. This dive is one not to be missed if you are planning a dive trip to Zanzibar.

Mnemba Atoll is a popular scuba diving site, with a wide variety of corals and associated species, as well as good sightings of larger species such as turtles and dolphins. Calm conditions are most frequent in September and October, though visibility is at its optimum in January.

Mnemba Island is a 60-minute drive from Stone Town across the main Zanzibar Island, the Island can be easily reached if you will be staying at the nearest hotel, the Matemwe Beach Village, which is a twenty-minute boat crossing from this hotel. Mnemba Island and its surrounding reefs have been declared as a Marine Conservation area.

Mnemba is an idyllic island situated within a marine reserve comprising four distinct habitats which are home to a diverse array of Indian Ocean wildlife.

* Encounters with three species of dolphin
*  Approximately 600 species of coral reef fish
* Seasonal viewing of humpback whales (July to September)
* Migratory and resident shore birds feed and roost on the Island
* Excellent opportunities to view whale sharks (the world’s largest fish)
* Green Sea Turtles can be seen laying their eggs on the beaches between December and May
* Nesting place of threatened green turtles (monitoring and protection project has been underway since 1996)