Times in Tanzania: Pangani: Maziwe Island

Looking out as the tide comes in.

One of our friends recommended snorkeling at an island about 8km offshore from Pangani at a place called Maziwe Island. Maziwe Island is a marine reserve but it has been poorly managed until a few years ago. It is a tiny island with nothing but sand and some rock, though there is a very healthy group of coral and fish on the east side of the island.

Our friend had given us the number for Kasa Divers and we tried to arrange an outing. The person in charge wrote us saying she wanted to go out the next day, which we said we couldn't. I said we would like to go out the following day and she said that was fine. The next day she emailed and said maybe she would have to go to town and possibly couldn't go. I asked her to confirm either way so I could arrange it with someone else. I was really worried as I had been looking forward to the trip and I was disappointed Kasa Divers couldn't give me an answer within 24 hours of wanting to go.

As I lost faith in Kasa Divers, I decided to go to Pangani to check out if there were any other operators. I stopped at a hotel between where we were staying and Pangani and saw some flyers on the wall. I took a number and called a tour operator though the person I reached was apparently based in Moshi. He said he would call the guy in Pangani and see what he could do. The whole thing began to seem like it would never happen and even worse, when we reached Pangani we realized it was a tiny town with not a lot of tourism happening, hence operators numbers in Moshi being posted on the walls of local hotels. We pulled up to the ferry, for no reason other than it was naturally the most bustling point in town and I called the guy back asking him to send me the operators number. He said his name was Emmanuel.

Just like that, a gentlemen appeared at my window. "Are you looking for Emmanuel, the tour operator? I am him". I couldn't believe it and he jumped in the car to go to his office. Now, Emmanuel was certainly helpful but I would describe him as a bit of a character. He said we could arrange the trip for the next day at a bit cheaper than the previous place had quoted me. We worked out the particulars and a meeting time, paid a deposit and went our way.

I was happy to support a local tourism initiative, though I am certainly aware at how poorly managed these programs can be. So I was absolutely pleasantly surprised when I found out that everything was on time, we had a motorized craft with an extra engine, and it was covered. The covering was especially helpful after our debacle in Kilombero River. We made our way out to the ocean, enjoying the cool sea breeze and passing local dhows with fishermen.

After about 45 minutes we passed another group heading to the island. They were riding with a sail powered dhow, and it looked like they were having some issues with wind. We chatted with their captain and then agreed to help town them the rest of the way. It took us about an hour to reach the island and apparently by dhow it takes 2-2.5. Certainly the dhows are attractive and a bit romantic, but in the end it appears that passengers spend most their day roasting in the sun on the way to the island.

When we reached the island the guides created a temporary shelter with the sail of the dhow. It was enough to provide a little shade, though we immediately plunged in with the snorkeling. Our boat had about four pairs of snorkel gear, all in varying states of decomposition. I opted for flippers a bit too large for me, though the fin was not disintegrated like the other pair I was eyeing up.

The snorkeling was fantastic, with some rich coral and abundance of fish. We took a break, had some lunch, and dove in again. A variety of seabirds were also perched on the island and as the tide came in, we all got a bit more crowded on the island, until our captain signaled it was time to go.

In the end, I was happy to have taken the "local team" and quite enjoyed the island. It was a bit expensive but the setting was something off a postcard and the snorkeling added an activity beyond just laying on the beach. My only advice is, bring lots of sunscreen!