Mnemba Atoll · Tanzania · Seamount · Drift
Leven Bank
A sea mount topping out at 14 m and dropping to 50 in strong current
Area photo: Jorge Láscar · CC BY-SA 2.0
Leven Bank is a sea mount in open ocean off the northern tip of Zanzibar, its top at 14 metres and its flanks dropping to 50. PADI describes the site as subject to strong currents and lists it for experienced divers only. No visibility figure is published for it, and no marine life specific to the site is on record.
Where it is and how deep
5.6346° S, 39.2983° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
This is a sea mount rather than a reef, a rise in open water off the northern tip of Zanzibar with its top at 14 metres and its sides dropping to 50. Current is the defining condition rather than a variable: the published entry says the site is subject to strong currents and is for experienced divers only, which sets how it is entered — on the mark, with a descent that goes straight down instead of sightseeing on the way.
Below the top the ground falls to 50 metres, and on a site with that range the profile is what ends the dive rather than gas or interest. No route, no visibility figure and no marine life specific to Leven Bank are published, so plan it as a current dive rather than a tour: stay with the group, keep the mount under you as the reference, and treat the 14 metre top as the only shallow ground there is before the ascent.
Marine life and season
The sources we used don't single out particular species here.
| 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 Mnemba Atoll: Jul–Mar is divable, with Dec–Feb calmest and clearest; the long rains in April and May bring poor visibility and rough crossings.
Know before you go
- Strong current is the normal condition here rather than the exception: expect a negative entry, carry a surface marker buoy and plan to be collected downstream of the drop point.
- The mount tops out at 14 m with open water beyond it, so plan the safety stop over the top of the bank or in the blue on a line rather than on a shallow reef.
Dive videos
Leven Bank · Spanish Dancer Divers on YouTube
Questions divers ask
Is Leven Bank suitable for beginners?+
No. PADI lists it for experienced divers only. The site is subject to strong currents and drops to 50 metres in open water, with no shallow reef to retreat onto.
How deep is Leven Bank?+
PADI gives the top of the mount at 14 metres and a maximum depth of 50 metres, which puts the deep part of the site at the edge of recreational limits.
Sources
More dive sites in Mnemba Atoll
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Reef
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Wall
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Plate corals along the north edge of a 20 m bommie slope
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