Mafia Island · Tanzania · Pinnacle · Reef
Small Rock
Pinnacles lit side-on by the dawn light, 3 m to 16 m
Area photo: brittonpaul83 · CC BY-SA 2.0
Small Rock runs from around 3 m to a maximum of 16 m and is built of pinnacles and coral structures rather than a continuous reef. It is a site with a preferred time of day: dived at first light, the dawn sun comes in low across the pinnacles and lights the whole formation from the side.
Where it is and how deep
7.9541° S, 39.7966° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
The site is shallow, with a maximum of about 16 m and a minimum of around 3 m, so the profile is generous and the dive is really about how you move through the structure. Descend to the base of the pinnacles first, circle the formation at its deepest point to see how the coral heads are laid out, and then start climbing through them rather than swimming a single contour past them.
Timing matters more here than depth. On an early boat, the dawn light comes in low and sideways across the pinnacles and coral structures, throwing the relief into contrast and giving the whole area a golden cast; later in the day the sun is overhead and the same formations flatten out. Work the sunlit flanks while the light is low, keep the deeper circuits for the start of the dive, and finish among the coral tops at around 3 m.
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
When is the best time to dive Small Rock?+
Early morning. The dawn light illuminates the site's pinnacles and coral structures from a low angle, which is when the formation looks its best; by mid-morning the sun is overhead and the relief flattens.
Sources
- Small Rock - Scubago — Scubago
More dive sites in Mafia Island
Reef
The north end of an 800 m reefbank, 5 m to sand at 17 m
Reef
Reef rays resting on the rubble at the foot of the reef
Wall
A coral bank to 15 m, dived by day and after dark
Coral garden
Three coral patches divided by bright sand channels
Wall
An archway in the rock wall, ringed by reef fish
Wall
A vertical face with shallow caverns, 8 m to 26 m
Reef
Pink and purple corals down a seaward reef slope to 26 m
Channel & pass
The channel through the centre of Chole Bay, dived as a drift
Similar dives elsewhere
Three pinnacles reached on a short swim from the beach
A manta cleaning station beside a coral-covered Admiralty anchor
Granite pinnacle at 12 m (40 ft) with a vertical wall on its offshore face
A rock formation named for a sunken ship that isn't there