Nungwi Turtle Aquarium Half-Day Trip

The Nungwi turtle aquarium

The Nungwi turtle aquarium, often called the natural aquarium, is not a building with glass tanks but a lagoon in the coral rock on the shore of Nungwi village, filled and refreshed by the sea at every high tide through channels in the stone. It was created by the village community as a sanctuary for sea turtles that were caught in fishing nets, injured or taken as hatchlings, and the entry fee supports their care and the rescue and release programme.

Green turtles and the smaller, beak-faced hawksbill turtles are the species you will see, from young animals the size of a dinner plate to adults that can weigh more than a grown man. The guide explains how they are tagged and when they are released, on a release day each year when the village gathers on the beach to see them go. Plan about an hour and a half here; the best part for most guests is feeding time.

Feeding and swimming with the turtles

Feeding the turtles is simple and unforgettable: you buy a bundle of fresh seaweed at the entrance, hold it over the water and watch the turtles rise to take it from your hand, with the guide showing you how to do it without disturbing them. Children love this part and it is safe, because the turtles are used to people and interested only in the seaweed. Keep your fingers clear of their beaks, as the guide will remind you.

Swimming with the turtles is optional. Steps lead into the pool, which is about chest deep at mid tide and perfectly clear, so you can float among the turtles as they pass. Please do not chase, hold or ride them; the sanctuary follows responsible wildlife rules and the turtles must stay calm. A mask is useful to watch them underwater. Towels, swimwear and a change of clothes are your own; the water level in the pool depends on the tide, which is why starts are fixed at nine in the morning.

Nungwi village and the northern tip of Zanzibar

Nungwi is the fishing village at the very top of Zanzibar, about an hour's drive from Stone Town and ten minutes from Kendwa, famous for its beach, its old lighthouse at Ras Nungwi and its dhow-building yard, where craftsmen still shape wooden sailing boats by hand using methods passed down for generations. The turtle aquarium sits on the rocky shore near the lighthouse, so from the entrance you can see fishing boats coming in and the deep blue channel towards Tumbatu Island.

On the way from your hotel the guide points out the village mosque, the market and the boat yard, and on the longer options from Stone Town or the east coast the drive crosses the island through spice farms, rice fields and small towns, which is a scenic introduction to rural Zanzibar. Nungwi is a conservative village: please wear clothes that cover shoulders and knees outside the water.

Getting there: the pickup options

How to get to the Nungwi turtle aquarium depends on where you stay, and the booking panel has an option for every area. Guests in Nungwi or Kendwa are collected at nine in the morning for a short transfer and a trip of about two and a half hours in total. Guests in Stone Town or anywhere else in Zanzibar travel in an air-conditioned vehicle with an experienced driver for a half day of about five hours including the drives.

Each version is available with the entry ticket included or without it, in which case the ticket is paid in cash at the entrance; the ticket price is set by the sanctuary. Turtle food is also bought on site. Whichever option you choose, our driver meets you at the hotel reception and brings you back afterwards, so the visit fits easily before lunch or an afternoon on the beach.