Mafia Island and whale shark season
For part of each year, whale sharks feed in the bay off Kilindoni on Mafia Island. You can swim with them in calm water close to shore, which is rare anywhere in the world.
The island
Mafia lies south of Zanzibar, off the Rufiji delta. It is small and quiet, with a handful of lodges, and much of the surrounding water is protected in the Mafia Island Marine Park.
Whale shark season
Whale sharks gather in the bay off Kilindoni, the main town, to feed on plankton. They are present for several months of the year, with the most reliable period roughly from October to February or March. They are filter feeders and harmless to people.
A typical trip leaves by boat in the morning. When a shark is found, a small group enters the water with a guide and swims alongside it for a short time.
At a glance
- Season
- roughly October to March
- Getting there
- short flight from Dar es Salaam, about 30 minutes
- Stay
- 3–4 nights
- Also here
- marine park reefs, turtle nesting, Chole Island ruins
- Pairs with
- Nyerere National Park
Swimming responsibly
The whale shark operators on Mafia follow a code of conduct:
- Small groups in the water at one time.
- Keep a distance of a few metres and never touch the shark.
- No flash photography.
- Limited time with each shark.
Choose an operator that follows the code and pays the marine park fee.
More than whale sharks
- The marine park reefs, especially around Chole Bay, for snorkelling and diving.
- Green and hawksbill turtles nesting and hatching on nearby beaches and islands, in season.
- Chole Island, with the ruins of a nineteenth-century trading town overgrown by baobabs and fig trees.
Questions we get asked
No, but in peak season they are seen on most trips. Outside the season, sightings are unlikely.Are whale sharks guaranteed?
You need to be comfortable in open water with a mask, fins and a life jacket or wetsuit. The water in the bay is usually calm.Do I need to be a strong swimmer?
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