Contrary to other thoughts that might
come to mind, the Mafiaosi have nothing to do with Mafia Island. The Mafia
Archipelago most likely got its name from the Arabic word ‘morfiyeh’,
meaning ‘archipelago’, or possibly from the Kiswahili phrase, ‘mahali pa afya’,
meaning ‘healthy dwelling place’.
The archipelago lies just south of the
equator and is made up of a group of islands, atolls and tidal sandbars,
scattered in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Tanzania. The largest of these
islands, Mafia Island, is 50km long and 15km wide, and is surrounded by a
barrier reef teeming with marine life.
This is a virtually unknown destination, and the
incredible diversity of marine life make it a diver’s paradise. Almost half the
coastline of Mafia, about 822km², was gazetted as the first Tanzanian marine
park in 1995. The Mafia Archipelago forms one of the most interesting and
diverse marine ecosystems and coral reefs in the world.
Given its location and the presence of the marine
park, the bulk of activities on Mafia Island are obviously centred on or around
the water. Most of the outstanding dive sites in Mafia lie within Chole Bay, a
vast circular enclave off the south-east coast of the island, where the water
depth ranges from 5-27 metres and there is a tremendous variety of coral, fish
and other marine species. Over 50 genera of coral, more than 460 species of
fish and five different species of turtles have been recorded in the waters
around Chole Bay.
Everything about diving
on Mafia is fabulous, from the exhilarating boat ride, to the amazing
experience that waited for us beneath the surface of the water. Stingrays to
barracudas, giant clams to tiny anemone fish, trigger, angel, butterfly and
trumpet fish, enormous star fish, vibrant coloured corals, enigmatic turtles,
minute colourful nudibranchs and leaf fish… we saw it all. Mafia Island
Diving is run by the highly organised Danielle and multilingual dive
master, David. It is one of the longest standing dive operators on the
island, and they offer scuba certifications, as well as both water based and
land based activities.
Different to the scuba,
but just as spectacular, was the snorkelling. There was so much to see just
beneath the surface of the water, by wearing only a mask, snorkel and fins. A
deep breath followed by some vigorous kicking made it easy to go down to
investigate lobsters hiding between rocks and sea urchins bristling between
soft corals. Everywhere there were vibrant, shimmering fish darting about; a mesmerising
display of colour and movement passing before your eyes.
A definite snorkelling highlight of Mafia is the
whale sharks, and if you are there at the right time, October to February being
the best, you can swim with these gentle giants just a few hundred metres off
shore. Whale sharks are the largest fish in the ocean, known to reach sizes of
up to 14 metres long. Swimming with them is a truly awesome experience. The
locals call the whale sharks Papa Shilingi – ‘papa’ meaning shark and ‘shilingi’
meaning coins, because the bodies of these beautiful creatures almost look like
they are studded with coins.
In the unlikely event that you do tire of the
underwater world of Mafia, or perhaps have just become a little too
waterlogged, then there is an abundance of things to do on dry land. Sea
turtles have been nesting and hatching on Tanzanian beaches for over 150
million years, and between June and September, it is possible to see this
amazing phenomenon for yourself. In the afternoons on Chole Island you can see
trees full of Comoros fruit bats excitedly chattering and squabbling, as they
wake up to head out on their nightly foray for food. There is even a rogue
gang of reclusive hippos that can be spotted in a network of lagoons in the
north-western part of Mafia Island.
Where to stay on Mafia Island
We were lucky to stay in three beautiful places
while on Mafia Island and each was special in its own way.
Pole Pole is an exclusive seven bungalow eco lodge,
located inside the marine park, where we were pampered by the lovely Paola. It
offered great cuisine, an unpretentious and laid-back atmosphere, and warm but
discrete hospitality.
Shamba Kilole Lodge is a six room eco lodge on a
five hectare plot inside the marine park, owned and operated by Marco, who is
known as the island’s most knowledgeable and passionate dive master.
Butiama Beach is probably the best value for
money place to stay on Mafia, and is the perfect place for families. With a
seemingly endless expanse of pristine white beach just footsteps from your
room, there’s fun to be had by everyone.
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