Tumbatu Island Snorkelling and Dolphins from Nungwi

Tumbatu Island and its reefs

Tumbatu is a large island of the Zanzibar archipelago, a long, low strip of coral rock lying just off the north-west coast of the main island, across a channel from the fishing town of Mkokotoni and clearly visible from Nungwi. Its people, the Watumbatu, are famous sailors and fishermen with their own dialect of Swahili and a strong tradition of keeping the island to themselves, so visitors do not land there; the trip is about the sea around it, which is exactly why the reefs are so good.

The coral gardens off Tumbatu are shallow, sheltered and lightly visited, with hard and soft corals, shoals of fusiliers and snappers, parrotfish, butterflyfish, lionfish tucked under ledges and sometimes turtles and rays passing over the sand. You snorkel for about an hour with the guide, who finds the best patches for the day's conditions. Tumbatu snorkelling from Nungwi is a good choice for guests who have already seen Mnemba, or who simply prefer a reef without a crowd of boats.

Dolphin watching off the north coast

The waters off Nungwi, between the lighthouse and Tumbatu, are a feeding area for bottlenose dolphins and the smaller spinner dolphins, and the dolphin search is the first part of the morning. The captain reads the sea for fins and birds, slows the boat when a pod is found and keeps a respectful distance; when the dolphins are relaxed and the sea is calm, the guide shows you how to enter the water quietly and watch them pass beneath you.

We follow responsible wildlife guidelines: no chasing, no touching and no crowding, and swimming happens only when the guide judges it safe. Dolphins are wild animals, so sightings are never guaranteed, although they are seen on most mornings along this coast. The search usually takes forty-five minutes to an hour before the boat heads across to the reef.

Nungwi, the departure point

Nungwi sits at the northern tip of Zanzibar, about an hour's drive from Stone Town, and is the island's main base for boat trips thanks to its deep-water beach that stays accessible at every tide. Pickup is from your hotel reception or entrance in Nungwi at about eight in the morning, followed by a short walk or drive to the beach, where you wade out to board the boat. On the way out you pass the dhow-building yard and the old lighthouse at Ras Nungwi.

The crossing to the Tumbatu reefs takes about thirty to forty minutes, and from the water you see the whole north coast, the fishing boats and the green bulk of Tumbatu ahead. How to get to Tumbatu Island from Nungwi is therefore simple: there is no public ferry for visitors, and this trip handles the transfers and the boat for you. The trip takes about four hours in total and finishes in time for lunch.

Fruit break and the return

After the snorkelling the boat anchors in calm water or drifts along the Tumbatu shore while the crew serves tropical fruit, typically pineapple, mango, banana and watermelon depending on the season, with bottled water. It is a relaxed half hour to warm up in the sun, compare what everyone saw on the reef and photograph the island and the channel. When is the best time to visit Tumbatu? Mornings are calmest and clearest, and the driest months, June to October and December to February, give the best visibility.

The boat then crosses back to Nungwi, arriving around noon, and we return you to your hotel. The afternoon is free for the beach, the Nungwi turtle aquarium or a sunset dhow cruise, all of which we can arrange from the same hotels.