Pemba Island · Tanzania · Wall · Reef
Uvinje Gap
Undercut overhangs and table-coral sheets on a channel wall
Area photo: James Heilman, MD · CC BY-SA 3.0
Uvinje Gap is a wall dive inside the channel, the reef top at 6 m to 10 m and the face sloping to 35 m. Overhangs are the feature, and the coral is in good condition with a tremendous variety that includes very large sheets of table coral. The outside wall on the same site starts at 6 m and runs down to 45 m, and is where the bigger animals turn up.
Where it is and how deep
5.1115° S, 39.6351° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The gap dive runs inside the channel. The top of the reef is 6 m to 10 m down, and from there the wall slopes away to 35 m, its face broken by the fascinating overhangs that are the main reason to dive it. Butterflyfish and triggerfish work the coral, turtles and eagle rays hover off the edge, and the coral itself is in good condition, with a tremendous variety that includes very large sheets of table coral.
Save air for the shallows. The reef top teems with impressive coral heads, richly inhabited with swarming reef life and covered in colourful sponges and other invertebrates, and that is where a long safety stop earns its keep. Uvinje Outside Wall is a separate drop on the same extensive site: the drop point is adjusted to suit the direction of the current, and the wall runs from 6 m at the top down to 45 m. Huge napoleon wrasse, eagle rays and blotched fantail rays are the usual sightings out there.
Marine life and season
- Sea turtles
- Eagle rays
- Napoleon wrasse
- Stingrays
- Pristine corals
- 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.
Know before you go
- The direction of the current decides the drop point on the outside wall, so confirm the plan on the boat rather than working it out in the water.
Questions divers ask
How deep is Uvinje Gap?+
The reef top is 6 m to 10 m and the wall inside the gap slopes to 35 m. Uvinje Outside Wall, on the same site, starts at 6 m and runs down to 45 m.
Sources
- Diving — Fundu Lagoon
- Uvinje, Wete District (island) — OpenStreetMap
More dive sites in Pemba Island
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Reef
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Pinnacle
A summit 40 m long with the reef falling past 60 m
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Wall
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Pinnacle
A coral mountain from 30 m to 16 m, slack water only
Wall
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Reef
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