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Safiri Tanzania
Whale shark grounds off Kilindoni
Attraction

Whale shark grounds off Kilindoni

Mafia Island, Tanzania

About

The plankton-rich coastal waters where whale sharks gather to feed in season, the island's headline attraction.

Opening hours

  • Monday: Open 24 hours
  • Tuesday: Open 24 hours
  • Wednesday: Open 24 hours
  • Thursday: Open 24 hours
  • Friday: Open 24 hours
  • Saturday: Open 24 hours
  • Sunday: Open 24 hours

Where it is

Getting to & around Mafia Island

From other cities: Coastal, Auric and other operators fly light aircraft from Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar into Mafia Airport (MFA); there is also a slow local ferry and dhow service from Nyamisati on the mainland.

Getting around: Taxis and a few vehicles connect Kilindoni with the Chole Bay lodges; boats and dhows handle transfers within the marine park, to Chole and Juani islands, and to the whale-shark grounds.

Full getting-there guide

More in Mafia Island

Mafia Island Marine Park Park
Mafia Island

Mafia Island Marine Park

Tanzania's first marine park, protecting reefs, mangroves and seagrass around Chole Bay and its islands.
Chole Bay Natural Feature
Mafia Island

Chole Bay

The sheltered, coral-rich bay at the heart of the marine park, the base for most diving and snorkelling.
Chole Mjini Lodging
Mafia Island

Chole Mjini

A tiny mangrove-fringed island of atmospheric 19th-century ruins, a baobab-shaded village and a famous eco-lodge.
Kua Ruins, Juani Island Historical Landmark
Mafia Island

Kua Ruins, Juani Island

The overgrown remains of a Shirazi Swahili town of mosques and tombs, reached by dhow across the bay.