Diving with Whale Sharks in Mozambique

The whale shark is the largest fish in the world, measuring up to 45 feet long, with a very broad head. They have about 3,000 tiny teeth, but they are of little use. And despite their size, whale sharks are very gentle and curious creatures.

Mozambique offers some of the best diving in southern Africa. Dive sites are uncrowded and marine life is varied and abundant. The aquamarine waters hold a vast number of tropical and game fish species as well as rare creatures like dugongs, whale sharks and turtles. Conditions compare favourably with those of the Caribbean or the Great Barrier Reef but are not nearly as commercialised. Water temperatures range from 22ºC in winter to 31ºC in summer and visibility is usually between 5 and 35 metres, with an average year round visibility of 15 metres.

Many whale sharks are seen off East Africa, but the greatest concentration of the sharks appears to occur off Mozambique and the northern coast of South Africa from October through March. On January 15, 1994, a total of 95 whale sharks were observed between Durban and Umtentweni, South Africa, a distance of 68.3 miles [110 km], during an aerial survey conducted by the Shark Research Institute.

A highly rated activity is a whale-shark dive with one of the dive operators located in Tofu or at the backpackers' hostels themselves. Mozambique must be one of the best places in the world to see the biggest of fish: Rhincodon typus, the mighty whale shark.


Take an underwater tour of the waters of Mozambique Video Clips here


Source : [WWF] [Shark.org] [GreatWhiteSharkCageDiving.com]