Zanzibar: Mnemba Island for snorkeling

 

Gathering the group

 

My brother had never been snorkeling before so after a successful maiden snorkel at Chumbe Island we decided to hit Mnemba atoll as well.  We ended up going with the company One Ocean Dive Centre - Matemwe, which I was initially skeptical about. I was worried that a larger company may be offering more of a generic experience but I was pleased to find that was not the case. We were impressed with the quality of the gear (wetsuits included!), staff professionalism, island transfers (there was a skiff trip to board a larger boat), snacks (fresh fruit), and most importantly, it was a half day trip that was split up in to two 45 minute sessions. I loved the splitting of the sessions as I always feel like I'm enjoying the reefs so much that it only feels right when someone forces me to get back in the boat. So having two sessions totally helped to take some of the pressure off and to be honest, a half day was more than enough.

The snorkel guide was also fantastic, so good in fact that I wrote to the company commending his guiding. He was not only good at pointing stuff out but he also kept the group together. This was essential as the atoll was VERY busy. There were so many boats that at some point I questioned whether they were all there for snorkeling. Turns out that there are many divers are in the boats but still, there were something like 35 boats clustered together. We were also told that in peak season it can be extremely crowded.

The highlight of the trip was a Peacock Mantis Shrimp (Odontodactylus scyllarus) as well as plenty of eels that went unidentified. The reef wasn't in as good of health as Chumbe Island's but there were still plenty of healthy tracks. 

Overall I can not recommend enough to consider the wetsuit as a crucial item that most outfitters do not provide. It provides protection from the sun, additional buoyancy, and also keeps you warm. Even tropical waters will eventually draw heat from your body making you feel cold. I had only used a wetsuit while snorkeling once before but that as on a cold and cloudy day in the Pacific Ocean. I had not thought about the benefits of using a wetsuit in the tropics but I am now a believer! Even though the trip was on the high end when compared to other operators, it was totally worth it!

That's some tropical waters.

Zanzibar: Chumbe Island Coral Park: Trip II

View north from the lighthouse.

I can't believe that it has been more than five years since my last visit (Trip I) but I was happy to return to Chumbe Island. It remains one of my favorite package snorkel trips and it's great to know the trip is supporting the island and marine park. We had a booking snafu whereby they did not confirm our booking and Matilda was dismissive and rude but the manager Masudi swept in and was helpful and accommodating.

The visibility was not perfect during the snorkel trip but the coral was in great shape and offered some great viewing of the aquatic life. Ana even saw a Blacktipped Reef Shark which proved to be the highlight of the trip. 

I truly love the day trip nature and pacing of the trip. The forest walk was more of a forest narrative but redeemed itself when we climbed the lighthouse, which was closed during my last visit. The vistas of the island we beautiful!