Tofo · Mozambique · Reef

Fingers

Finger-shaped reef ridges with sand lanes between them

One of the closest reefs to Tofo, 3.5 km out and five minutes by boat, named for the finger-like projections that make up the main reef. It sits at 14-16 m with sandy areas held between the fingers, and it is where open-water students make their third and fourth dives. Macro life is the draw: banded boxer shrimp, leaf fish, nudibranchs and frogfish cling to the reef.

Where it is and how deep

Depths on a shared scale to 40 m (130 ft); dashed lines mark common certification limits.

23.8370° S, 35.5739° EPublished position for this site.

The dive

Five minutes after the boat clears the break you are over the site, which keeps the ride short and the profile easy: 14 to 16 m for about 45 minutes. The reef is built of finger-like projections running out from the main body, and the dive is a matter of working along and between them rather than following one continuous edge.

The fingers themselves are where the small stuff clings on. Banded boxer shrimp, leaf fish, nudibranchs and frogfish are all regular here, and the pace of the dive suits divers who want to stop and look rather than cover ground. Between the fingers the bottom turns to sand, and those protected patches are where torpedo rays, Kuhl's rays and the occasional Jenkins ray settle.

South of the main reef sits Fishy Rock, technically a manta cleaning station although mantas are not seen on it; cleaner wrasse, damselfish, anthias and purple lyretails work it instead, and a window-hole in the rock shelters schools of striped eel catfish. Because the reef is shallow, close and forgiving, it is also where Tofo operators run the third and fourth dives of an open water course, so a training group is a common sight.

Marine life and season

Nudibranchs
Frogfish
Stingrays
Macro critters

Month-by-month season rating for Fingers
Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Good	Good	Good	Good	Prime	Prime	Good	Fair	Fair	Good	Good	Good

Season follows Tofo: The best diving runs from after Easter to early July; August and September bring the humpback peak but choppy seas.

Questions divers ask

Is Fingers good for new divers?+

Yes. It sits at 14-16 m, is only 3.5 km from the beach, and Tofo operators use it for the third and fourth dives of an open water course. Open Water certification is the stated minimum.