Pemba Island · Tanzania · Pinnacle
Pole Pole Mountain
A coral mountain from 30 m to 16 m, slack water only
Area photo: James Heilman, MD · CC BY-SA 3.0
A mountain of coral off Pemba's north-western peninsula that rises from 30 m to a summit at 16 m, with smaller coral hills scattered around its base. It can only be dived at slack tide and the dive centre limits it to experienced advanced divers; spotted sweetlips, nudibranchs and turtles are the regulars.
Where it is and how deep
4.8840° S, 39.6620° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The site is a single coral mountain standing clear of the seabed, its summit at 16 m and its flanks running down to 30 m. Tide decides everything here: the dive centre will only put divers in at slack water, and it asks for experienced advanced divers before it does. The natural descent is onto the summit, with the whole structure below you from the start.
From the summit you can work down and around the flanks, or stay high and circle the top, which is the easier plan if the water starts moving again. The base is scattered with smaller hills of coral that break the sand up and give the dive a second layer at around 30 m. Spotted sweetlips gather over the structure, nudibranchs sit on the coral for anyone diving it slowly, and turtles are common. Ascend the mountain itself and finish on the 16 m summit.
Marine life and season
- Sea turtles
- Nudibranchs
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prime | Prime | Good | Off-season | Off-season | Fair | Good | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime |
Season follows Pemba Island: Oct–Mar is the main season with the calmest sea; the long rains in April and May close most operations on the island.
Know before you go
- Tide rules the site: it can only be dived at slack water, so a booked dive can move or be cancelled outright when the exchange does not line up.
Questions divers ask
When can you dive Pole Pole Mountain?+
Only at slack tide. Dive 360 Pemba restricts the site to experienced advanced divers and to slack water, so it is planned around the tidal exchange rather than a fixed departure time.
Sources
- Exceptional Diving In Pemba At Manta Resort — The Manta Resort
More dive sites in Pemba Island
Wall
The sand floor beside the wall drops away past 80 m
Reef
Coral bommies off the resort's own water entrance
Pinnacle
A summit 40 m long with the reef falling past 60 m
300 fish species on a reef that starts at the beach
Wall
The northbound current sweeps divers through the gap into the lagoon
Wall
Camouflaged fish on an easy 5–18 m slope, day or night
Reef
A split in the wall opens into a sand valley at 12 m
Wall
500 m of sloping wall from 6 m down to 25 m
Similar dives elsewhere
Zambezi sharks over open ground, October to May
A coral spire from 24 m to just under the surface
Drop-offs and channels with a pinnacle rising from 14 m to 8 m
Five current-swept pinnacles cut by tunnels and swim-throughs.