The Dolphin Adventure Day
This tour takes you to the little village of Kizimkazi, which is reputed to once have been the capital of Zanzibar. A small village consisting of two adjoining settlements, Kizimkazi Dimbani to the north and Kizimkazi Mkunguni to the south, it features a small beach where guests can relax or go diving, swimming or snorkelling. It is also regularly visited by long-snouted, spinner and bottlnose dolphins.Kizimkazi is also the site of a Shirazi mosque dating from the early 12th century and thought to be one of the oldest Islamic buildings on the East African coast. Inside the mihrab are inscribed verses from the Quran dating to 1107 and considered to be among the oldest known examples of Swahili writing.
Collected from your hotel, you will be driven to Kizimkazi and given time to explore and take lunch; later you can explore the coastal waters by motor boat - with the chance of seeing dolphins (85% chance), turtles and whales. Both green and hawksbill turtle nest on Zanzibar while humpback whales move north through the channel between the mainland and the archipelago in spring, typically returning in September.
Dolphin watching code
- Dolphins are wild and their whereabouts cannot be predicted, it is they who choose to interact with people, not the other way around.
- Shouting and waving your arms around will not encourage dolphins to approach your boat.
- Be satisfied with simply seeing the dolphins; don't force the boat operator to chase the dolphins, cross their path or get too close, especially when they are resting.
- If you decide to get in the water with the dolphins, do so quietly and calmly and avoid splashing.
- No one can guarantee that you will see dolphins; swimming with them is a rare and precious occurrence.
