Swim with whale sharks!
A rare species comes to Mafia Island…
Mafia Island is isolated and little known to tourists. This Pacific gem, close to Zanzibar, is without doubt the most secret place in Tanzania ! Beautifully preserved, this island offers Tanzania’s largest marine reserve: Chole Shamba, where there is a wide variety of fish and corals, sure to delight divers. But that’s not all! Off its magnificent white sandy beaches, in its incredibly clear waters, you can spot the largest fish in the world: the whale shark!
These graceful giants of the sea can be observed close to the shore. The best time to encounter them in Mafia is between October and March. Whether you are a snorkeller, a diver or simply an ocean lover, you will experience something extraordinary and the excitement is likely to be intense!
Every diver’s dream!
The whale shark is Mafia Island’s star attraction. It is true that one never tires of watching these giants of the oceans in their natural habitat. It is very recognisable thanks to its massive body: some of them can measure up to 20 metres in length and weigh a substantial 30 tonnes! It has a broad, flat head and its back is blue-grey, covered with white spots.
Completely harmless to humans, it mainly feeds on plankton and other small fish. You may see it swimming calmly, with its mouth open, which can measure up to two metres wide, to catch as much plankton as possible. You’ll see, it is impressive!
The whale shark swims very slowly: around 5km/h, but when it passes close to us, it seems very fast and it is sometimes difficult to keep up with it.
An endangered species…
Since 2005, the International Union for Conservation of Nature has classified the whale shark as “vulnerable”. Indeed, it is the victim of overfishing because it has significant market value in Asian and Far Eastern markets. Their numbers have fallen sharply. Another factor in this decline is pollution, such as oil spills, which pollute the plankton and reduce the whale shark’s life expectancy; it can normally live for 100, even 150 years.
Eco-tourism, beneficial for everyone!
For the inhabitants of Mafia Island, often very poor, the presence of whale sharks is a real blessing, as it attracts tourists, creates jobs and improves the lives of many people.
On the other hand, mass tourism could drive them away, which is why the locals are keen to preserve the island and its ecosystem. So they manage this eco-tourism intelligently by limiting the number of boats at the sites, supervising divers so that they respect the whale sharks and helping the younger generation to understand that these are gifts from the sea, which must be cared for…
So, would you be ready to experience an unforgettable moment alongside this giant of the seas?
