435 km²
Size
24-32°C
Temperature
Sea level
Altitude
Hot coastal, whale shark season roughly Oct-Mar
Climate
Mafia is a marine-park island south of Dar: whale sharks in season, honest reefs, and a pace that makes Zanzibar's north coast feel busy.
The Mafia Island Marine Park is the point. You snorkel and dive inside a managed reef system, and from about October to March the whale sharks move through the channel. Nobody owns a shark, so we treat those mornings as a search, not a booking confirmation.
Chole and the smaller islands around the bay are for dhow time and ruins, not for shopping. Stay three nights. Two feels like you only unpacked. Combine Mafia with Nyerere if you want a southern wildlife-and-water trip that never touches the northern circuit.
Flights are small. Soft bags, tight weight. We write that on every Mafia invoice because safari luggage from Ruaha does not fit in a Cessna if you packed as if you were going to Nungwi.
Things to See & Do
Getting There
Flight
Daily light aircraft from Dar, and connections from Zanzibar and some southern airstrips. The lodge boat meets you at Ki...
Wildlife you can see here
All 7 speciesWhales & dolphins
Humpback Whale
Megaptera novaeangliae
A giant baleen whale that migrates through Tanzanian waters from July to October.
Pemba Island, Mafia Island +2 more
Sharks & rays
Whale Shark
Rhincodon typus
The world's largest fish, a gentle filter feeder that visits Mafia Island.
Mafia Island
Turtles
Green Sea Turtle
Chelonia mydas
A large, gentle turtle that grazes on seagrass and nests on quiet beaches.
Mafia Island, Mnemba Atoll +3 more
Turtles
Hawksbill Turtle
Eretmochelys imbricata
A rare turtle with a hawk-like beak and a beautifully patterned shell.
Pemba Island, Mafia Island +1 more
Sharks & rays
Reef Manta Ray
Mobula alfredi
A graceful giant ray that glides through the reef channels of the islands.
Pemba Island, Mafia Island +1 more
Fish
Clownfish (Anemonefish)
Amphiprion spp.
The small orange fish that lives among the tentacles of sea anemones.
Prison Island (Changuu), Mnemba Atoll +3 more
Trees
Red Mangrove
Rhizophora mucronata
A coastal tree that grows on stilt roots in salty tidal water.
Jozani Forest, Zanzibar Stone Town +4 more
Best Time to Visit
FAQs
When are whale sharks likely?
Peak is often October to February, with movement around plankton. We will not print "guaranteed" on a quote.
Mafia or Zanzibar after safari?
Zanzibar for convenience, restaurants and swimming hotels. Mafia if the marine park is the reason you came to the coast.
More To Explore
Add Paje to Your Safari
The route is ours to design — you just pick the places that call you.
Prefer to talk? Call +255 754 123 456