Tofo, the area around Mikes Cupboard

Tofo · Mozambique · Reef · Cave & cavern

Mikes Cupboard

Linked bowls joined by caves, overhangs and gullies

Area photo: Jon Hanson · CC BY-SA 2.0

A close-in reef of bowls linked by caves, overhangs and gullies, sitting at 14 to 16 m four kilometres off Tofo. The terrain does the work on this dive: you move from one bowl to the next through the gaps, and the overhangs hide a macro list that rewards divers who slow down and look properly.

Also known as Mike's Cupboard.

Where it is and how deep

Depth profile of Mikes Cupboard: typical dive 14–16 m (46–52 ft) 18 m · Open Water30 m · Advanced40 m · Recreational limit14 m16 mtypical dive
Depths on a shared scale to 40 m (130 ft); dashed lines mark common certification limits.

23.8309° S, 35.5480° EPublished position for this site.

The dive

Eight minutes out from the beach and you drop onto the first of a series of bowls, linked to each other by caves, overhangs and gullies. At 14 to 16 m with about 45 minutes of bottom time, there is no depth pressure, and the dive becomes a matter of tracing the connections from one bowl through to the next rather than following a single reef edge.

The open water above the reef holds large numbers of flute and trumpet fish, and they are easy enough to see. Down among the overhangs the interest is a good deal harder to spot: greyspot guitarfish, Kuhl's rays, crocodile fish, leaf fish and frogfish are all here, and every one of them depends on not being seen.

That mismatch is what makes this a site for eagle-eyed divers. Working the shaded sides of the gullies and the lips of the overhangs turns up more than crossing the open middle of the bowls, and the shallow profile means you can spend the full 45 minutes doing it without watching the computer.

Marine life and season

  • Frogfish
  • Stingrays
  • Macro critters
Month-by-month season rating for Mikes Cupboard
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
GoodGoodGoodGoodGoodPrimePrimePrimePrimePrimeGoodGood

Season follows Tofo: Manta rays and whale sharks are seen year-round; humpback whales add to the mix July-October, the area's peak season.

Questions divers ask

What can you see at Mikes Cupboard?+

It is a macro dive. Flute and trumpet fish gather in numbers over the reef, while greyspot guitarfish, Kuhl's rays, crocodile fish, leaf fish and frogfish hide among the caves, overhangs and gullies that link the bowls.

Sources

  1. Mike's Cupboard - Tofo Scuba dive sites — Tofo Scuba
  2. Mikes Cupboard - Scubago — Scubago

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