| KEITH'S DIVING HOLIDAYS, | GREAT BARRIER REEF, | MARSA SHAGRA, | MARSA SHAGRA 2006, | MARSA SHAGRA 2007, | KEY LARGO, | BONAIRE, | SIMILAN ISLANDS, | BUNAKEN 2005, | BUNAKEN 2007, | JORDAN |
Off a beach in Zanzibar
Some years ago I ended a safari in Tanzania with a week on the beach in Zanzibar and enjoyed it so much I just had to dive there. It was not the best decision I ever made but I did have a good holiday.
I dived with the Zanzibar Dive Centre at Matemwe Beach which is on the north east coast of the island and a delightfuilly laid back establishment frequented by backpackers chilling out after a safari on the mainland or climbing Kilimanjaro.
All the diving was done around the coast of Mnembe a small island just offshore. Coral population was very sparse, which may have been due to the Crown of Thorns Starfish which I saw. There were hard corals in the shallows but the main site for them is in the harbour at Stone Town, the capital, where the visibility is only five metres so I did not bother.
The pictures have been scanned from old photographs.
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The beach to the south
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Looking out to sea
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The beach to the north
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The view from my room
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Kitting up
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The dive leader. You can tell from his kit that the water was not very warm. Like him I wound up wearing a shorty over my 3mm wetsuit and a hood. The dive platform was a converted dhow with an engine added and was the first dive boat I have been on that had no toilet, which could have been inconvenient!
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Crown of Thorns Starfish
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Crown of Thorns Starfish
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Bannerfish
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Tangs
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Sea Cucumber eating
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Sea Cucumber
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Sea Whips
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This seaweed is cultured and harvested by the local women for sale to Japan.
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Long Spined Sea Urchins.The shallow waters offshore are infested with these creatures and booties are mandatory.
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Local fisherman returning home
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Turtle
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Home again
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A typical bommie in the shallows
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Xmas Tree worm in Acropora
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Pink Porites
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