Diving in Mozambique

Tofo and Bazaruto: manta cleaning stations, whale sharks all year and humpback whales in winter

1 resort at this destination

Mozambique — diving at Tofo: reef manta cleaning stations, whale sharks year-round, humpback whales from June to October, the Bazaruto Archipelago. Dive resorts, prices and seasons.

Why divers come here

Tofo — one of the few places in the world with permanent reef manta cleaning stations
Whale sharks feed along the coast all year; the encounter is on snorkel from the boat
Humpback whales from June to October — mothers and calves stay close to shore
The Bazaruto Archipelago — a national park of dune islands and the last viable dugong population in East Africa
Manta Reef and Manta Pools — 20–30 metres, big pelagics and rays
Few divers and small-scale infrastructure: a dive centre and a boat rather than a crowd

What you'll meet underwater

Reef mantas and giant oceanic mantas

Whale sharks (all year, most often October to April)

Humpback whales (June to October)

Dugongs in Bazaruto National Park

Hammerheads, grey reef sharks, the occasional tiger

Turtles, eagle rays, guitarfish

Bottlenose and spinner dolphins

Soft corals, sponges and coral gardens on sandstone reefs

Photos: credits and licences

Practical information

Best season: Diving all year. Mantas and whale sharks are most frequent from October to April, when the water is warmer and there is more plankton
humpback whales pass from June to October.
May to September is cooler with clearer water and a rougher sea
Water temperature: 22–29 °C
Visibility: 10–30 m
Wetsuit: 5 mm year-round — the water is cooler than people expect of Africa
3 mm at the height of summer
Experience level: Open Water for the reefs
Advanced and open-water experience for the outer manta reefs — a surf launch from the beach, depths of 20–30 metres and currents that can be noticeable
Getting there: There are no direct flights from Russia.
The main route runs via Johannesburg or Addis Ababa to Maputo (MPM), then a domestic flight to Inhambane (INH) and about an hour by road to Tofo.
Some guests drive up from Johannesburg — a long haul, but it avoids the domestic flight.
The Tofo resorts meet guests at Inhambane.
Airports: Maputo (MPM) — international, Inhambane (INH) — closest to Tofo, Vilankulo (VNX) — for the Bazaruto Archipelago, Johannesburg (JNB), South Africa — the main connection
Visa: A visa is required. Tourists can obtain a visa on arrival at international airports or an e-visa in advance
the conditions change from time to time, so check the requirements before flying.
The passport must be valid for six months, and a return ticket and proof of accommodation are needed.
Climate: Tropical, air 22–32 °C, rainy season November to March, dry and cooler from May to September
Currency: Mozambican metical (MZN)
dive centres take US dollars and South African rand
Language: Portuguese is official; English is spoken in tourist areas
Time zone: UTC+2