Wasini Island & Kisite Marine Park Dhow Trip from Diani

Shimoni: the fishing village where the dhow sets sail

Shimoni sits at the southern end of the Kenyan coast, about an hour's drive from Diani Beach through palm groves and small Digo villages. The name means 'place of the caves' in Swahili, and the village grew around a sheltered channel that has been used by fishermen and traders for centuries. Today it is the gateway to the marine park, with a jetty where the dhows load up each morning and a quiet main street of fish stalls and coconut palms.

Our driver brings you here from your hotel, so you do not need to work out how to get to Shimoni on your own. On arrival the crew welcomes you aboard with tea, coffee and fresh fruit while the sails are set. The channel is calm in the morning, which is the best time to leave: the sea is flatter, the light is good for photos and the dolphins are usually more active before the midday heat.

Kisite-Mpunguti Marine National Park: snorkelling on the reef

Kisite-Mpunguti was gazetted in 1978 and protects a stretch of the Indian Ocean around four small coral islands south of Wasini. The park section around Kisite island covers about 28 square kilometres of shallow reef, seagrass beds and sandy channels, while the Mpunguti reserve around it allows traditional fishing. Because the water is protected and usually clear, this is widely considered the best snorkelling on the Kenyan coast, with hundreds of recorded species of reef fish.

The dhow anchors in the lee of Kisite island, where the reef is only a few metres deep. Fins and masks are provided and the crew swims with those who want company. Expect parrotfish, surgeonfish, angelfish, moray eels and, quite often, green and hawksbill turtles grazing on the seagrass. You snorkel for around an hour to an hour and a half, depending on the tide, and this is the part of the Kisite Marine Park day trip most guests remember.

Dolphin watching in the Wasini channel

The channel between Wasini Island and the Pemba deep water is home to resident pods of Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins and, less often, Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins. They are most frequently seen in the morning as the dhow crosses from Shimoni towards Kisite, riding the bow wave or surfacing in groups to feed. Spinner dolphins also pass through in larger pods during certain months.

The captain slows and keeps a respectful distance so that the animals set the pace; we never chase or encircle them, and swimming with dolphins is not part of this trip. Sightings are very common on a Wasini Island dolphin tour but they are wild animals and can never be guaranteed. Keep your camera ready on the crossing, and ask the guide to point out the difference between the species as they surface.

Wasini Island: Swahili village life and lunch

Wasini is a small coral island of around five square kilometres with no cars and only two villages, Wasini and Mkwiro, whose people live mainly from fishing and seaweed farming. The island has been settled by Swahili and Shirazi families for centuries, and the ruins of old coral-stone houses stand among the baobabs and mango trees behind the beach. Walking paths connect the jetty, the village and the coral garden.

After snorkelling, the dhow lands you on Wasini for lunch at a village restaurant overlooking the water. The meal is a Swahili spread cooked over charcoal, with grilled fish or crab as the centrepiece and chicken or vegetarian dishes for those who prefer them, served with coconut rice, chapati and fresh fruit. This island stop is unhurried, with time to swim off the jetty or simply rest in the shade before the walk.

The coral garden boardwalk

On the eastern side of Wasini village a raised wooden boardwalk leads through a landscape that looks like another planet: a field of fossilised coral heads, sculpted by the tide into mushroom shapes, with mangrove trees growing out of the rock. The boardwalk was built by the village women's group and the small entry contribution supports local schools and the maintenance of the walkway.

The circuit takes about thirty to forty minutes at a slow pace. At high tide the coral garden floods and the mangroves stand in water; at low tide you see crabs, mudskippers and wading birds between the rocks. Our guide explains how the mangroves protect the island from erosion and act as a nursery for the fish you saw on the reef that morning. Wear closed shoes or sandals rather than flip-flops.

The Shimoni caves

Back on the mainland, a short walk from the jetty brings you to the Shimoni caves, a network of coral limestone caverns that stretches several kilometres inland. For generations they were a refuge for coastal communities during raids, and in the nineteenth century they were used as a holding place for captives before ships sailed to the slave markets of Zanzibar. Iron rings in the rock and a small exhibition tell this history with dignity.

The visit takes about twenty to thirty minutes with a local guide and is included in the trip. The caves are cool and home to a colony of fruit bats, so a light jacket and a torch are useful but not essential. It is a sobering end to a beautiful day and gives context to the Swahili coast you have been sailing along, before our driver takes you back to Diani in the late afternoon.