Is Zanzibar good for beginner divers?

Yes, partly: 5 of the 12 dive sites we document are suited to Open Water divers, including Sand Banks (Mnemba), Kendwa Reef and Pinnacles (Stone Town). The others need more experience or a higher certification.

What is the water temperature in Zanzibar?

The water is usually between 25 °C and 29 °C over the year.

What marine life can you see in Zanzibar?

Divers regularly see dolphins, turtles, stingrays, tuna, barracuda and trevally.

Zanzibar

Diving in Tanzania

12 documented dive sites, 5 of them for Open Water divers. Known for dolphins, turtles and stingrays.

Best months: Mar, Oct–Nov
Water: 25–29 °C
Levels: Open Water, Advanced, Experienced
Nearest airport: ZNZ

When to go

Pick a month: the diving season, from published sources, and the typical weather.

Pick a month

Best
Good
Possible
Closed
Not documented yet

Zanzibar in October

Best season

Sea: 27 °C; at the surface
Air: 31 °C; 22 °C at night
Rain: 80 mm; average for the year
Wind: 11 km/h; on average

Typical weather, not a forecast: averages for 2021–2025 (air, rain, wind) and 2023–2025 (sea), data from Open-Meteo (ERA5 / Copernicus, Météo-France). Covers an area of roughly 10 to 25 km around the destination.

Diving is possible year-round; best Mar and Oct–Nov. Apr–Jun is the rainy season, Jun–Sep the south wind makes trips choppy (cancellations possible in Aug), and Dec–Jan are the windiest months.

Source: zanzibaroneocean.com

Dive sites in Zanzibar

From the easiest to the most demanding. Levels with a dashed outline are estimates we are still verifying.

Open Water friendly

usual dive down to 18 m5 sites

Reef

down to 16 m

Sand Banks (Mnemba)

Mnemba coral gardens at 8-16 m in a mild current, sheltering butterflyfish, pufferfish and sweetlips.

Open Water

Drift

down to 12 m

Kendwa Reef

A long, shallow Kendwa reef reaching only 10-12 m, drifted gently past many juvenile fish.

Open Water

Rock formations

down to 16 m

Pinnacles (Stone Town)

Pillars, overhangs and arches at 10-16 m off Stone Town, with turtles, guitarfish and nudibranchs on a lucky day.

Open Water
Turtles

Wreck

down to 12 m

The Great Northern (Stone Town)

An 1870 British cable-laying ship resting at 4-12 m off Stone Town, now an artificial reef full of shrimps and pipefish.

Open Water
Clownfish

Macro

down to 18 m

Bawe Reef (Stone Town)

A 5-18 m reef off Stone Town where green and hawksbill turtles are regularly seen and seahorses hide among blue sponges.

Open Water
Turtles

For Advanced divers

usual dive down to 30 m6 sites

Macro

down to 30 m

Mwana wa Mwana (Tumbatu)

A Tumbatu reef with corals from 3 m to 12 m where scorpionfish, ghost pipefish and seahorses hide.

Advanced
Ghost pipefish

Drift

down to 25 m

Aquarium (Mnemba)

A gentle Mnemba drift where surgeonfish, Moorish idols, groupers and giant trevallies frequent the reef.

Advanced
Trevally

Drift

down to 40 m

Kichwani (Mnemba)

A Mnemba coral wall from 2 m down to 30 m, home to many schools of reef fish with pipefish, leaf fish and nudibranchs to find.

Advanced
Nudibranchs

Wreck

down to 30 m

Royal Navy Lighter (Stone Town)

A purposely sunk lighter at 30 m off Stone Town, covered in whip corals and surrounded by big schools of snappers.

Advanced
Snappers

Drift

down to 50 m

Small Wall (Mnemba)

A Mnemba drift along a reef that slopes to 30 m before a vertical drop, home to several Napoleon wrasses and the odd whitetip reef shark.

Advanced
Whitetip reef sharks

Macro

down to 25 m

Wattabomi (Mnemba)

Coral blocks from 5 m at Mnemba's 'Moray Eel City', covered in lionfish and moray eels and home to frogfish.

Advanced
Dolphins

For experienced divers

usual dive down to 40 m1 site

Drift

down to 30 m

Leven Bank

A 6 km ridged seamount well out in the Pemba Channel, drifted at 18-25 m among schools of tuna, kingfish and barracuda.

Experienced
Humpback whales

Marine life

When the big encounters happen, month by month.

Species	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Humpback whalesSource: bluewaterdivetravel.com

Peak season
Seen

Also reported here, season not documented yet:

Dolphins
Turtles
Stingrays
Tuna
Barracuda
Trevally
Cuttlefish
Frogfish
Ghost pipefish
Nudibranchs
Seahorses
Batfish
Moray eels
Napoleon wrasse
Snappers
Whale sharks
Whitetip reef sharks
Guitarfish
Harlequin shrimp

Where is Zanzibar?

View on OpenStreetMapLocation: Unguja (Zanzibar) (Wikipedia)Map: Natural Earth

Nearest airport: ZNZ

Zanzibar: frequently asked questions

When is the best time to dive Zanzibar?: The best months to dive Zanzibar are Mar, Oct–Nov. Diving is possible year-round; best Mar and Oct–Nov. Apr–Jun is the rainy season, Jun–Sep the south wind makes trips choppy (cancellations possible in Aug), and Dec–Jan are the windiest months.
Is Zanzibar good for beginner divers?: Yes, partly: 5 of the 12 dive sites we document are suited to Open Water divers, including Sand Banks (Mnemba), Kendwa Reef and Pinnacles (Stone Town). The others need more experience or a higher certification.
What is the water temperature in Zanzibar?: The water is usually between 25 °C and 29 °C over the year.
What marine life can you see in Zanzibar?: Divers regularly see dolphins, turtles, stingrays, tuna, barracuda and trevally.
How do you dive Zanzibar?: The nearest airport is ZNZ.

About this page

Seasons and marine life come from the sources below. Site levels and depths marked as estimated come from our original catalogue and are being checked one by one. Conditions change: always confirm with a local dive centre.

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Photo: Sarah Lee on Unsplash

Photo credits

Sunlight and bubbles in deep blue water, Sarah Lee, Unsplash License, on Unsplash