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Protect the Dugong
The dugong's common name is 'sea cow' because they are mammals which graze exclusively on sea grass meadows.
Two new coastal and marine reserves in Mozambique grant the critically endangered dugong and the ancient coelacanth an important haven. Traditionally seen by sailors as the evocative mermaid, the dugong is a marine mammal living among seagrass beds in only a handful of places in the world's tropical seas. The coelacanth is an ancient inhabitant of these waters. First discovered in the ocean off Mozambique in the 1950s, its close relatives were already swimming here at the time of the dinosaurs.
The Government of Mozambique recently declared Qurimbas Archipelago a national park, and extended full protection to the Bazaruto Archipelago National Park. The areas together host an immensely rich marine and land-based life. In addition to dugongs and coelacanths, they provide shelter for a wide range of marine animals such as the whale shark, four dolphin species and five of the world's seven marine turtles. The waters are also visited by minke and humpback whales during their annual migration. The parks also contain important populations of fish and invertebrates. In Bazaruto, the sea is teeming with around 800 fish species and the coral reefs in Quirimbas are made up of 50 genera of coral, making the park one of the richest coral reef areas in the world. The land part of the two parks is made up of extensive coastal forests and miombo woodlands, in places extending all the way down to the shore. Here, important populations of elephant, lion, leopard, buffalo and African hunting dog have their home. More...
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Info about sharks
Allen, a writer and author of, debunks the popular myth of sharks as vicious, deadly, and brutal animals. Through detailed and illustrated descriptions of more than one hundred shark species, the almanac provides a comprehensive yet accessible overview of the misunderstood species. Allen recounts shark legends and tales, documents actual shark attacks, and discusses which
species attack, what provokes them, and how to avoid them. Sixteen pages of photographs and scores of sharks. more...
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DESTINATIONS » Africa » Kenya | Madagascar | Malawi | Mozambique | South Africa | Tanzania | Zimbabwe
 A few years ago Mozambique ended a bloody and costly 17 year civil war. The locals, fed up with years and years of fighting, poverty and misery have put the past behind them and slowly begun the arduous task of rebuilding the country to its former glory.
This beautiful country, which until it's independence in 1975 was a Portuguese colony rich in culture, agriculture, minerals, fisheries and tourism, is now being resurrected. Mozambique is situated on the East Coast of Southern Africa, within the Tropic of Capricorn. It has a coastline of nearly 2500km (1550 miles) and is bordered by South Africa and Swaziland in the south, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi and Tanzania in the north. The country is now wonderfully peaceful. Mozambique is only a hop, skip and a jump from such exotic diving destinations as the Seychelles, Madagascar and the Maldives so you can only imagine what lies in her tropical coastal waters.
Popular diving locations are to be found at Ponta Malangani, Inhaca Island and dozens of other spots along the length of the Quirimba Archipelago in the far north. Besides, Ponta do Ouro, Ponta Mamoli, Inhaca Island near Inhambane and Morrungulo, among a host of other locations also provide excellent scuba reefs. The lodges on Bazaruto and Banguerra offer the longest established diving operations, including dive master and the latest equipment and boats.
Other locations offer varying facilities. Some are likely to be upgraded in the future, so one is well advised to inquire before deciding on where they want to do their diving. The nearest decompression chambers are in South Africa, at Sodwana bay and Johannesburg. Rescue opportunities at the more far remote areas may be difficult to find, while in others, more established operations have reliable systems to evacuate casualties to South African and Zimbabwean hospitals.
The Bazaruto Archipelago
This string of spectacular subtropical islands is rated as one of the most beautiful places in Africa. Famous for pristine beaches that stretch on for almost 3 000km, the islands also offer fantastic diving. The waters around the Bazaruto Archipelago have been declared a marine conservation area. Totalling some 1400km², it is one of the largest in the Indian Ocean. There are four main islands: Bazaruto, Benguerra, Magaruque and Santa Carolina with a host of smaller islands lying off the coast of each.
The islands are situated in the Mozambique Channel, just off the coast of Inhambane in Southern Mozambique. The turquoise water is warm and translucent and therefore provides excellent visibility. There are thousands of subtropcial fishes, numerous coral reefs, anemones, seahorses and a dazzling variety of marine creatures. One of the mian attractions, is the Dugong or sea cow, which is highly endangered and of which only a very small number still exist. Divers in Bazaruto may see hundreds of species of coral at Two Mile Reef, or may sail to Magaruque for the rock reef diving.
Inhaca Island
Inhaca Island is a small-inhabited island, lying just 37 km of the Mozambican capital of Maputo, on the periphery of a large estuarine bay. On the fringe of the tropics, it has a wealth of breathtaking beaches, coral reefs and exotic marine life on offer.
The fish life is virtually untouched and the reefs are unspoiled. Wreck diving and shark diving is possible. Staghorn and plate coral, moray eel potato bass, large school of barracuda and kingfish are in abundance. Dolphins, whale sharks and manta rays are not uncommon during the summer months.
Bassas Da India
Bassas Da India is a tiny coral atoll situated in the Mozambique channel about 50 miles to the north of Europa Islands and is French. This atoll is only visible once the tide is out and therefore is littered with wrecks. Some of these are centuries old like the Santiago that went down in 1585, and some are more recent. "The Bas" is infrequently visited and then only by ocean going yachts or motorized vessels. (see the liveaboard Ocean Explorer 1)
Mozambique is a year round diving destination. The reefs are situated off the warmer east coast beaches where the winters are mild. The best months are may through to July because of the lower incidence of malaria.
 
Lonely
Planet Mozambique ::
Online
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Dive Sites of South Africa, Anton Koornhof
The Shark Almanac, Thomas B. Allen
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