Pemba Island · Tanzania · Reef
Shimba Hills
A split in the wall opens into a sand valley at 12 m
Area photo: James Heilman, MD · CC BY-SA 3.0
Shimba Hills is the far end of the same reef that carries Shimba Wall, off Pemba's north-western peninsula. Where the wall's last corner breaks into two it opens into a sand-floored valley at 12 m, grown with barrel sponges and busy with anthias, sweetlips and fusiliers. Dive 360 Pemba runs it as a novice dive.
Where it is and how deep
4.9050° S, 39.6680° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
Shimba Hills is the tail end of Shimba Wall, so the dive runs along the reef with the coral on one shoulder. The wall's last corner is the feature: it breaks into two, so the reef stops being a single face and opens out into two low arms with water between them. There is no drop-off to work here and no depth to chase, which is why the dive centre puts novice divers on it.
Between the arms is a valley with a sand bottom at 12 m, stood over by barrel sponges. That shallow floor is where most of the dive is spent, and 12 m buys a long, unhurried bottom time. Anthias hang above the coral heads, with red sea sweetlips, fusiliers and redtooth triggerfish working the same ground. With no depth to force an early turn, the shallow reef top is an easy place to finish and ascend.
Marine life and season
- Reef fish swarms
| 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.
Questions divers ask
How deep is Shimba Hills?+
The valley between the two arms of the reef has a sand bottom at 12 m, which is the depth most of the dive is spent at. Dive 360 Pemba recommends the site for novice divers.
Sources
- Exceptional Diving In Pemba At Manta Resort — The Manta Resort
More dive sites in Pemba Island
Pinnacle
A summit 40 m long with the reef falling past 60 m
Pinnacle
A chain of sea mountains drifted one to the next
Wall
The sand floor beside the wall drops away past 80 m
Wall
The northbound current sweeps divers through the gap into the lagoon
Wall
500 m of sloping wall from 6 m down to 25 m
Pinnacle
A coral mountain from 30 m to 16 m, slack water only
Wall
Camouflaged fish on an easy 5–18 m slope, day or night
Reef
Coral bommies off the resort's own water entrance
Similar dives elsewhere
Featherworm and sea-fan garden beside the main swimming beach
Gestating ragged-tooth sharks settle here from December
Long nose pipefish and shovel nose crayfish in 4 to 8 m
A shallow reef inundated with nudibranchs, 300 m off the beach