Mafia Island · Tanzania · Coral garden · Reef
Coral Islands
Three coral patches divided by bright sand channels
Area photo: brittonpaul83 · CC BY-SA 2.0
Three extensive coral patches sit separated by sand channels off Mafia Island, starting at around 9 m and levelling out at about 17 m. The channels bounce ambient light back across the coral, which is the point of the site: a bright coral garden dived as a circuit of the three patches rather than as a single reef line.
Where it is and how deep
7.9451° S, 39.7935° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
The descent puts you on the first of three coral patches at around 9 m. Each one is a substantial block of healthy coral in its own right, and the sand channels between them are wide enough to cross in open water, which is what gives the site its name. The pale sand reflects ambient light up onto the coral flanks, so the formations stay lit from below as well as above and the dive rarely needs a torch.
Work the patches in turn, following the edge of one until it runs out, then crossing the channel on a bearing to pick up the next. The ground falls away slowly as you go, levelling out at about 17 m at the deepest part of the site. Keep the deeper channel crossings for the first half of the dive and the shallow coral tops for the second, and the profile takes care of itself: the last stretch and the safety stop both pass over the reef.
Marine life and season
The sources we used don't single out particular species here.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prime | Prime | Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Good | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime |
Season follows Mafia Island: Whale shark season peaks October-March; the March-May long rains bring rougher seas and reduced visibility.
Questions divers ask
How deep is the Coral Islands dive?+
The coral patches start at around 9 m and the site levels out at roughly 17 m, so the whole dive fits a straightforward recreational profile.
Sources
- Coral Islands - Scubago — Scubago
More dive sites in Mafia Island
Wall
Sheer little walls from 3 m to 17 m, thick with sponges
Pinnacle
Pinnacles lit side-on by the dawn light, 3 m to 16 m
Channel & pass
The channel through the centre of Chole Bay, dived as a drift
Pinnacle
A coral spire from 24 m to just under the surface
Pinnacle
Coral towers rising from 18 m to just under the surface
Reef
Coral bommies on white sand, from 5 m down to 17 m
Drift
Mafia's adrenaline dive, run in a very strong current
Drift
A drift along a coloured coral slope to 25 m
Similar dives elsewhere
A brain coral and a rare red anemone at 12 to 20 m
300 fish species on a reef that starts at the beach
Shallow coral gardens a short ride from the city
An islet with one tree, ringed all round by hard and soft coral