Mafia Island · Tanzania · Reef
Juani North
Pink and purple corals down a seaward reef slope to 26 m
Area photo: brittonpaul83 · CC BY-SA 2.0
Juani reef is one of the only true fringing reef complexes on Mafia, running the full length of Juani Island on the seaward side, and this is its northern section. The reef slopes down to around 26 m here and is a favourite for the pink and purple cast the corals give the slope.
Where it is and how deep
7.9809° S, 39.8141° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
This is the seaward side of Juani Island, on one of the only true fringing reef complexes Mafia has, and the reef runs the full length of the island. The northern section slopes down to around 26 m, so the dive follows the usual shape for a sloping reef: descend to the deep end early, run the foot of the slope while your no-stop time allows, then work back up the face at an angle rather than returning along the same depth.
What divers come back for is the colour. The corals here give the slope a pink and purple hue, and since red goes flat with depth in ambient light, that cast reads best on the shallower half of the slope or up close with a torch. This is the seaward face of the island rather than sheltered bay diving, so keep an eye on which way the group is drifting and finish shallow at the top of the slope.
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 Juani North?+
The fringing reef slopes down to around 26 m at this northern section. No shallower limit is published, but the reef continues up the slope towards the island.
Sources
- Juani North - Scubago — Scubago
More dive sites in Mafia Island
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
Wall
A vertical face with shallow caverns, 8 m to 26 m
Wall
A coral bank to 15 m, dived by day and after dark
Reef
A shallow reef inundated with nudibranchs, 300 m off the beach
Wall
An archway in the rock wall, ringed by reef fish
Reef
The north end of an 800 m reefbank, 5 m to sand at 17 m
Similar dives elsewhere
Large sponges and red romans at 22 to 25 m off Cape St. Blaize
Turtles, reef sharks and devil rays, dived flat or as a drift
A flower-like anemone full of shrimps and pipefish
A grotto of juvenile fish with a resident large moray