Exotic Diving Destination – Zanzibar
One of the best things about being a scuba diver is the opportunity to travel and explore new destinations around the globe. From the United States we often think about the clear waters of the Caribbean or beautiful Hawaii. The beautiful reefs and dive locations of this world can take you far beyond these locations. Today we are going to talk about an island called Zanzibar.
Information on Zanzibar
Zanzibar, is an island which belongs to Tanzania, and is located off of the east coast of Africa. It is semi-autonomous in that it has its own political system. The population of Zanzibar is right around 1 million people. Zanzibar is home to some incredible white sand beaches and you guessed it, world class diving. The people of Zanzibar are generally very welcoming to tourists and a large part of their economy is based off of tourism. It has become a very popular spot for many Europeans and recently more and more Americans and Canadians to visit.
Marine Life of Zanzibar
Zanzibar features some truly unique marine life. The marine life you might expect to encounter include humpback whales, bottle nose dolphins, several species of turtles, white tipped reef shark, napoleon wrasse, crocodile fish, moray eels, blue fin trevally, octopus, lion fish, frog fish, leaf fish, cuttle fish, scorpion fish, and many more! The Indian Ocean has many species which are very unique and quite different then what we typically will see in the Caribbean. Spanish Dancer Divers has provided us with some excellent photos of the marine life you can expect to encounter while diving in Zanzibar!
Diving Conditions of Zanzibar
Water temperatures are quite nice in Zanzibar. The seas will range in temperature from around 75 degrees in July and August to 85 degrees in January and February. The visibility can vary between around 40 and 100 feet. The best visibility is generally during the periods from December to Mid-February.
When Should You Visit Zanzibar?
The diving in Zanzibar is fantastic year round so long as you don’t mind some wind or rain. If you are flexible with when you can visit, generally the best season with the flattest seas and the best visibility will be from September until late November and then again from February to April. December and January can be somewhat windy and choppy. In between these time period you will experience great diving but possibly some rain throughout the months of April through June.
Enjoy the photos of Zanzibar and please let us know of your favourite places to dive or of any places you would like to see us write about on this site! Happy Diving!