Mafia Island Marine Park

Tanzania's first marine park, gazetted in 1995, covers the southern portion of Mafia Island and roughly 822 km² of surrounding water, including Chole Bay's protected coral gardens and the passes that flush them with clear ocean water. The park was designed around people as much as reefs — some 15,000 residents fish and farm within its boundaries under zoned rules. Diving centers on Chole Bay's kaleidoscopic coral heads and channels like Kinasi Pass, with turtles, giant grouper, and dense reef fish; outside the bay, the island's west coast hosts a famous whale shark aggregation, and the park's islets shelter nesting turtles and fruit-bat colonies.

The rules that bind divers

Visitors pay a marine-park entrance fee per day, collected by lodges and dive operators on behalf of the park authority. Zoning separates core no-take areas, specified-use zones, and general zones where residents fish with permitted gear; dynamite fishing, once the region's scourge, is banned and patrolled against. Dive and snorkel trips run through licensed operators, anchoring on coral is prohibited, and collecting shells or coral is illegal. Whale shark trips off Kilindoni operate under interaction guidelines — no touching, controlled approach, limited swimmers — though enforcement quality varies.

Fees & permits: Daily marine-park fee per visitor (higher for non-residents), normally itemized by lodges; confirm current rates on arrival.