Zavora is quite new and exciting, a great diving adventure. Tofo is one of the best places to swim with Whale Sharks and it has a number of excellent dive sites. Barra is the place to be for beauty and culture - it shares most of the same dive sites with Tofo although there are some differences.
Inhambane Province
Zavora
From this great beach you can enjoy excellent reef dives and see Manta Rays, sea turtles as well as Hump Back Whales in season. Two known reefs you can explore are the inshore reef and deep reef. Both reefs are very long and many dive sites have yet to be explored. There is also a wreck in between - the Klipfontein. The ship broke in half when it sunk and both sites offer great dive opportunities.
The inshore reef system north of Zavora includes White Sands and Red Sands and has amazing topography with interesting overhangs and swim throughs. Depths vary up to 18 metres (59 feet). Marine life that can be spotted includes sea turtles and Moray Eels with a variety of sharks frequenting the cleaning stations.
Deep Reef is for advanced divers only as visibility is changeable and depths reach at least 30 metres (98 feet) and more. There are multiple dive sites. The reef is full of marine life with huge shoals of game fish and Manta Ray cleaning stations plus lots of sharks. On calm days you could see a local highlight, the Frog Fish.
Tofo and Barra
Manta Reef is a world famous for its 3 Manta Ray cleaning stations and dramatic topography, an ideal location for filming and research. Visibility on this dive is about 20 metres or more (65 feet) with a depth of 26 metres (85 feet) so it is best suited to advanced divers with drift experience. Marine life is prolific and therefore it is a very popular site. Further on are Manta Point and its cleaning station in the depths. Advanced divers will enjoy the gullies, overhangs and ledges.
Praia de Roche has fascinating topography with white sand, large boulders and a maze of nooks and crannies. You'll see hard and soft corals, tropical fish, Octopus and Morays. This is suitable for novices and more experienced divers in depths averaging about 10 metres (32 feet).
Krakatoa is fine for Open Water divers in depths of up to 18 metres (59 feet). The reef looks like a volcano crater and is full of colourful hard and soft corals. This is a good site for swimming with Whale Sharks, especially in season. Other marine life seen include shoals for reef fish, Nudibranchs, Octopus and lobster.
Simons Town is an interesting reef with large chimneys of rock and lots of holes and gullies. It's good for beginners and occasional divers and offers a long, relaxing dive with plenty to see. Visibility can go as far as 30 metres (98 feet) and the depth is up to 18 metres (59 feet). Keep a look out for shoals of game fish swimming past and Whale Sharks.
Chamber of Secrets is a very good inshore reef and full of surprises. It has a number of overhangs, caves and about 6 swim throughs. The reef is shaped like a horseshoe, with a depth of 14 metres (45 feet) at the top and 19 metres (62 feet) at the bottom. You'll see lots of Rays (different kinds) and a great variety of other marine life including migrating Whale Sharks in season, it's definitely worth 2 dives to take it all in.
Clownfish Reef is also great for learners / occasional divers as it is located in Tofo Bay and there is no current. It is a flat reef with plenty of coral and small tropical fish. The depth is up to 10 metres (32 feet) with visibility as far as 30 metres (98 feet).
Giants Castle is best for the advanced diver with lots of deep drift experience where depths of about 25 metres or more (82 feet plus) can be reached. You can explore a big wall and ridge, drop offs and rock formations. The ridge hosts a rich variety of marine life including Lacy Scorpion Fish and pristine corals.
The Salon is named because of the amazing quantity of cleaner shrimps and the busy clientele lined up. It's a relaxing Open Water dive in about 11 metres (36 feet) while exploring stone boulders and the sandy bottom and spotting Red Reef Lobster, Trumpet Fish and Glassfish.
Mikes Cupboard is a busy reef with an average depth of 15 metres (49 feet). There is a lot to see for Open Water divers with interesting caves, overhangs, swim throughs and stacked boulders where all kinds of marine life hide out or pass through. Spot the Seagrass Ghost Pipe Fish, Leaf Fish, Scorpion Fish and a resident Green Turtle.
Sherwood Forest is accessed by boat from Barra and is a deep dive for advanced divers with drift experience in the 25 metre depths (82 feet). The site has stunning scenery with a host of different types of Rays and Moray Eels as well as tropical fish. You'll see a variety of corals, including soft fleshy corals in different colours and also Sea Sponges. Keep a look out for game fish swimming by.
Lions Den is a great reef for training and reaches 11 metres (36 feet) in depth - a relaxed dive where learners can see Lion Fish, Plate Coral and lots of small tropical fish.
Estrada is near lighthouse point and has a sandy bottom with stone ledges and is suited to Open Water divers. Depth is about 8 metres (26 feet) and you'll see many Nudibranch species, Moray Eels and even a shy White Tip Reef Shark.
Buddies is great for beginners as there is a maximum depth of about 10 metres (32 feet). The reef is close to shore and quite shallow so also excellent for night dives. This dive is great for finding rare fish and other interesting creatures if you take the time to look in all the nooks and crannies along the sand stone plateau.
Anchor Bay is an inshore, flat circular reef composed of rock and a variety of beautiful soft corals and sponges, and large plate coral. Tropical fish are abundant and notably there are also Manta Rays here, also in season Whales can be seen. An old ship's anchor gives this reef its name. The maximum depth is 10 metres (32 feet) so this long, shallow dive is popular for those in training and occasional divers getting back into it.
Barra Lagoon is for advanced divers with excellent buoyancy control. It's a unique dive near the mangrove swamps and the star attraction is the seahorses. Dugongs have also been sighted here. If you are a macro lover, this is for you as there is plenty to see. This is a delicate site and easily disturbed, hence the buoyancy control.
Barra Express is a sandy channel that can only be dived in spring high tides, so this is good for advanced divers with drift experience. Average depth is 10 metres (32 feet) and you will spot some unusual marine life and juvenile species.
Office has 2 cleaning stations, so it's a good place to get a look at the Manta Rays circling round in turns. The dive depth is between 18 and 27 metres (up to 88 feet) for advanced divers and you'll see eels and different types of rays and great selection of inquisitive reef fish such as Rubber Lips and Potato Bass also a variety of sharks. There are plenty of hard and soft corals in lots of shapes and colours.
Skylight has a sandy bottom, ledges and an interesting play on light. The average depth for advanced Open Water divers is about 22 metres (72 feet). Keep a look out for Manta, Rays, reef sharks and Sea Apples.
Coliseum is a great site for Open Water divers in a depth of about 24 metres (78 feet). Explore the sandy bottom and atmospheric stone ledges where you'll see reef sharks amongst the marine life.
Amazon has a big rock formation, a wall, gullies and crevices with plenty of tropical fish in the beautiful corals. The dive depth reaches about 28 metres (91 feet). Keep a look out for schools of fish swimming by such as Barracuda and Grey Stump Nose. Again, big Manta Rays are quite a sight flying past and also reef sharks. Great for advanced divers with deep drift experience.
Drifters (Buraco do Diabo) is a new, very deep site and only for advanced divers with extensive drift experience. Depths can reach as far as 40 metres (131 feet) around this a semi-circular wall with ledges and gullies. Look out for interesting little critters, Rays, reef sharks and Moray Eels.
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