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DIVING PEMBA ISLAND
A place where tiny dhows sail under perfect blue skies and iridescent turquoise waters mask delicate coral reefs, Pemba is just south of Kenya’s coastal hot spot, Mombasa, and just north Zanzibar.
We organised a trip that allowed us to see both sides of the island. Accessible only by liveaboard, the eastern side is exposed to open ocean and an ever present wind. Known for larger pelagics and high speed drift diving, under the surface, the current swept us off at quite a pace. We glimpsed a hammerhead way out in the blue and a few reef sharks below us, but they were much too far away and the nearby reefs walls were insignificant.
The western side of the island, on the other hand, is very different. Coastal waters are protected by hundreds of tiny islands an easy sail from shore. Reefs rise up from depth to the surface and are often exposed at low tide. Although the currents were nothing like on the east coast, they were always evident and influence the visibility and marine life.
Night diving was unexpected pleasure with plenty of weird critters muck like those we are used to seeing in Asia.
Apart from diving, days on Pemba are dead lazy - you can walk in the small remaining segment of rainforest, which is very close to the Manta Reef lodge, or visit the capital if you’re desperate for a shopping fix. Facilities are generally rustic but charming all the same.
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TRAVELOGUE: Flights: British Airways or KLM to Mombasa, Kenya or Dar es Salaam, Tanzania |
PROS AND CONS: Getting to Pemba is only slightly more hassle than getting to Kenya with many chartered and scheduled flights (see left). There are a handful of hotels and a couple of liveaboards. For experienced divers, this area might seem a bit tame especially when combined with the restriction of no diving at low tide if you are staying on land. However, combined with a safari, this makes a stunning wildlife holiday. |
| Complete reports on this area are in Diving the World |
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