From Pemba to Baía do Rovuma and the Quirimba Archipelago: Dive Sites

The Gap, Wimbe Beach, Pemba.
Available From:	The operators in Pemba.
Comments:	About 10 mins by boat from the Wimbe Beach, The Gap is to the right of the main beach area, two thirds the way out to Ponta Maunhane, (the right hard tip of land looking out to sea) where the continental shelf comes very close to land. 600m offshore you have an almost sheer drop from 12m-16m down to anywhere between 80m and 120m. This is the area where we see all the big game fish coming through.
Distance From Launch:	1km.
Depth Range:	12m to 80m Avg.: 30m.
Current:	No current.
Experience Level:	Advanced Open Water with plenty of deep experience.
Topography:	Sand bottom with stone ledges.
Marine Life:	Zebra, Grey Reef, White Tip Reef Shark and Tiger Sharks, Manta Rays, Spotted Eagle Rays and Turtles. Snowflake Soap Fish and Black Marlin.
Type of Water Entrance:	Roll back from RIB.

Pyro Banks, Wimbe Beach, Pemba.
Available From:	The operators in Pemba.
Comments:	About 15 mins out by boat, in the same area as the Gap. This is one of our shallow reefs, which starts off at 5m and runs down to 15m. Huge selections of coral razor fish are often found on the grassy patches in the beginning of the reef. Guaranteed Leaf fish sightings, or visit our underwater boutique and have your nails cleaned by a station of hinge beaked shrimps.
Distance From Launch:	1km.
Depth Range:	12m to 80m Avg.: 30m.
Current:	No current.
Experience Level:	Advanced Open Water with plenty of deep experience.
Topography:	Sand bottom with stone ledges.
Marine Life:	Zebra, Grey Reef, White Tip Reef Shark and Tiger Sharks, Manta Rays, Spotted Eagle Rays and Turtles. Snowflake Soap Fish and Black Marlin.
Type of Water Entrance:	Roll back from RIB.

Playground, Wimbe Beach, Pemba.
Available From:	The operators in Pemba.
Comments:	About 20 mins out by boat, on the northern peninsula of Pemba Bay, (the right hard tip of land looking out to sea) we have a shallow wall dive which drops from about 4m to 12m. Huge overhangs and cave as are everywhere stuffed full of dusky sweepers, shrimps, firefish and scorpion fish. There is a cave with more than 20 crayfish packed inside and there have been reported sightings of dwarf zebra lionfish and many other strange things. Unfortunately this reef can only be dived with good weather conditions due to it's proximity to cliffs.
Distance From Launch:	1km.
Depth Range:	12m to 80m Avg.: 30m.
Current:	No current.
Experience Level:	Advanced Open Water with plenty of deep experience.
Topography:	Sand bottom with stone ledges.
Marine Life:	Zebra, Grey Reef, White Tip Reef Shark and Tiger Sharks, Manta Rays, Spotted Eagle Rays and Turtles. Snowflake Soap Fish and Black Marlin.
Type of Water Entrance:	Roll back from RIB.

Ponta Saide Ali, Wimbe Beach, Pemba.
Available From:	The operators in Pemba.
Comments:	Also about 20min out by boat, around the corner from Playground is a reef with a huge bank of clubhorn and contoured coral, which slopes from 2m down to about 21m. Marvel at sightings of flying gurnards and Rinopius scorpion fish. Another favourite on this spot is the valley of a thousand anemones, where we are sure Nemo is still hiding.
Distance From Launch:	1km.
Depth Range:	12m to 80m Avg.: 30m.
Current:	No current.
Experience Level:	Advanced Open Water with plenty of deep experience.
Topography:	Sand bottom with stone ledges.
Marine Life:	Zebra, Grey Reef, White Tip Reef Shark and Tiger Sharks, Manta Rays, Spotted Eagle Rays and Turtles. Snowflake Soap Fish and Black Marlin.
Type of Water Entrance:	Roll back from RIB.

River Mouth, Wimbe Beach, Pemba.
Available From:	The operators in Pemba.
Comments:	About an hour out from the hotel, (up left hard coast looking out to sea) is a reef situated in the mouth of the Tari River. The reefs runs between 3m and 24m deep, and consists mainly of huge boulders the size of a house strewn everywhere. Big potatobass and huge Napoleon wrass hide underneath and shoals of gamefish pass overhead. Possibly only with high tide due to the flow of the river, affecting visibility.
Distance From Launch:	1km.
Depth Range:	12m to 80m Avg.: 30m.
Current:	No current.
Experience Level:	Advanced Open Water with plenty of deep experience.
Topography:	Sand bottom with stone ledges.
Marine Life:	Zebra, Grey Reef, White Tip Reef Shark and Tiger Sharks, Manta Rays, Spotted Eagle Rays and Turtles. Snowflake Soap Fish and Black Marlin.
Type of Water Entrance:	Roll back from RIB.

Willy's Reef, Wimbe Beach, Pemba.
Available From:	The operators in Pemba.
Comments:	Discovered by accident when we mixed up landmarks given to us by Willy, the captain of "The Mieke". This reef is about 30mins out by boat, and lies about a quarter of the way between playground, and the river mouth. The reef is flat, with a 203m high ridge on the one side, and is about 10m - 16m deep. Big orbicular batfish, small blue spotted rays and floral morays have been spotted here.
Distance From Launch:	1km.
Depth Range:	12m to 80m Avg.: 30m.
Current:	No current.
Experience Level:	Advanced Open Water with plenty of deep experience.
Topography:	Sand bottom with stone ledges.
Marine Life:	Zebra, Grey Reef, White Tip Reef Shark and Tiger Sharks, Manta Rays, Spotted Eagle Rays and Turtles. Snowflake Soap Fish and Black Marlin.
Type of Water Entrance:	Roll back from RIB

Farol Ledge, Wimbe Beach, Pemba.
Available From:	The operators in Pemba.
Comments:	Situated off the lighthouse on Ponta Maunhane, about 25mins out by boat. This reef is a ledge packed with coral, and a variety of coral fish. The ledge starts at 6m-8m and drops down to 16m, containing many of little bays. The reef is pretty long, and one could do 2 different dives on the same reef.
Distance From Launch:	1km.
Depth Range:	12m to 80m Avg.: 30m.
Current:	No current.
Experience Level:	Advanced Open Water with plenty of deep experience.
Topography:	Sand bottom with stone ledges.
Marine Life:	Zebra, Grey Reef, White Tip Reef Shark and Tiger Sharks, Manta Rays, Spotted Eagle Rays and Turtles. Snowflake Soap Fish and Black Marlin.
Type of Water Entrance:	Roll back from RIB

Boabab Rocks, Wimbe Beach, Pemba.
Available From:	The operators in Pemba.
Comments:	About 25mins out by boat, just a little further into the bay from Ponta Saide Ali. This reef is a string of boulders and rocks lying on a sandy slope, with abundant life around them. Depth is around 5m-18m, crocodile fish have been found here.
Distance From Launch:	1km.
Depth Range:	12m to 80m Avg.: 30m.
Current:	No current.
Experience Level:	Advanced Open Water with plenty of deep experience.
Topography:	Sand bottom with stone ledges.
Marine Life:	Zebra, Grey Reef, White Tip Reef Shark and Tiger Sharks, Manta Rays, Spotted Eagle Rays and Turtles. Snowflake Soap Fish and Black Marlin.
Type of Water Entrance:	Roll back from RIB

Whipcoral Garden, Wimbe Beach, Pemba.
Available From:	The operators in Pemba.
Comments:	About 30min out by boat, this dive is a cluster of underwater hills rising from about 15m to about 5m. These hills are covered in whip coral, and various soft coral and barrel sponges. A good dive in the back of the bay, which makes it an excellent alternative for when the weather is bad outside of the bay.
Distance From Launch:	1km.
Depth Range:	12m to 80m Avg.: 30m.
Current:	No current.
Experience Level:	Advanced Open Water with plenty of deep experience.
Topography:	Sand bottom with stone ledges.
Marine Life:	Zebra, Grey Reef, White Tip Reef Shark and Tiger Sharks, Manta Rays, Spotted Eagle Rays and Turtles. Snowflake Soap Fish and Black Marlin.
Type of Water Entrance:	Roll back from RIB

Penguim Shoal, Pemba Bay.
Available From:	The operators in Pemba.
Comments:	Almost at the centre of the bay, about 35mins out by boat is a reef between 8m and 18m, it consists of big banks of club horn, contoured and brain coral, it also boasts a spectacular coral whip forest, and has some of the biggest crayfish in the area.
Distance From Launch:	1km.
Depth Range:	12m to 80m Avg.: 30m.
Current:	No current.
Experience Level:	Advanced Open Water with plenty of deep experience.
Topography:	Sand bottom with stone ledges.
Marine Life:	Zebra, Grey Reef, White Tip Reef Shark and Tiger Sharks, Manta Rays, Spotted Eagle Rays and Turtles. Snowflake Soap Fish and Black Marlin.
Type of Water Entrance:	Roll back from RIB

The Quirimbas Archipelago.

This is a region so vast it encompasses 27 islands, within our investigation we were unable to dive these islands, many of them are privately owned or exclusive destinations that were way beyond the budget of this website. You could also spend a year diving this region and not see it all. So I will give you some ideas of where to go for divng and why. In the future as information comes out of this area, so we will keep you updated.

Here is list of islands we know have dive operators:

Quililea - A private island that offers secluded beaches and an island practically to yourself as it has just nine chalets for its guests. The company have worked closely with the WWF and have created a marine sanctury around the island and that of Sencar island. The results are very pleasing, with a very healthy reef just a short swim from the main beach, which is also idea for snorkelling. You will find an abundance of juvenile fish teaming over the reef. On a more sour note, whilst here, we witnessed a ship anchored just outside the sanctuary acting as a factory for packaging fish for travel. This is inside the Quirimbas Marine Reserve and unfprtunately they held a licence issued from Maputo. These licensed and unlicensed practices are destroying the reefs of Mozambique and if it's allowed to continue, these fascinating places of outstanding beauty and massive ecological importance will be lost forever, ruining the reefs, tourism industry and sustainable local fishing, just to line the pockets of a few government officials, where's the sense in that!?.

Ibo - There is no official dive centre operating here but you can hook up with Didier he has a compressor and some dive gear. Best to be a very confident and independent diver here. There are reefs worth diving on the ocean side of the island near to the light house. It is also possible to snorkel this area, Dhows can be arranged to take you around.

Matemo - Rani Resorts have developed on this island with a dive centre and it will soon be open to the public, watch this space!

Medjumbe - Is also a Rani Resorts destination and is open to

Guludo Lodge - An operation owned and run by Neil and Amy (see Accommodation for this sector) based on the mainland near to Pangane, they have a dive operation that can take you to many of the islands for diving and they have discovered many excellent dive sites as well as Shark breeding grounds.