Pemba Island · Tanzania · Wall
Shimba Wall
500 m of sloping wall from 6 m down to 25 m
Area photo: James Heilman, MD · CC BY-SA 3.0
A gently sloping wall off Pemba's north-western peninsula that starts at about 6 m and runs parallel to the island for some 500 m before connecting with Shimba Hills. Its maximum depth of 25 m puts it beyond open-water limits, and the face is worked slowly for nudibranchs, leaf fish and redtooth triggerfish.
Where it is and how deep
4.9000° S, 39.6700° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The wall begins in about 6 m of water and slopes rather than drops, so the descent is gradual and you can pick your depth on the face instead of committing to one. It runs parallel to the island for roughly 500 m, which makes the dive a straightforward one-way traverse: get in at one end, keep the reef on a shoulder and let the length of the site do the work.
How deep you work the face is the main decision. The maximum is 25 m, and the resort's dive centre rates the site for advanced divers on that basis, so a typical plan is to run the deeper part of the wall first and step up the slope as the dive goes on. It is a slow-looking dive rather than a fast one — the face is known for nudibranchs, leaf fish and redtooth triggerfish, all of which reward a close pace. The far end connects with Shimba Hills, so the shallows there make an easy finish.
Marine life and season
- 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.
Questions divers ask
How deep is Shimba Wall?+
The wall starts at about 6 m and reaches a maximum of 25 m. Dive 360 Pemba rates it as suitable for advanced divers on the strength of that depth.
Sources
- Exceptional Diving In Pemba At Manta Resort — The Manta Resort
More dive sites in Pemba Island
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A chain of sea mountains drifted one to the next
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The sand floor beside the wall drops away past 80 m
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Camouflaged fish on an easy 5–18 m slope, day or night
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Coral bommies off the resort's own water entrance
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Undercut overhangs and table-coral sheets on a channel wall
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