By Michele Stark
Has anyone snorkeled Chumbe Island Coral Park Zanzibar Island of the coast of Tanzania? What was your experience and how would you rate the snorkeling there? What did you see, etc.? And when is a good time to go? Also any input on any other nearby snorkeling spots would be welcome.
Many thanks.
We spent a wondrous day and night at Chumbe after three weeks on safari. It was several years ago but I have every reason to believe it remains a “don’t miss” stop to add to your trip. The conditions were lovely and literally right out the door… I can’t remember specifics except clownfish in beautiful anemones. The group included a young Olympic diver who had a great time, too. Lodgings are super rustic but fun. Charming people who love their place. Do not miss the wildlife stroll after dinner! Wild!
We enjoyed our four day Chumbe stay in September 2019 very much. When we demonstrated our snorkeling comfort, capability and respect for the coral, we were taken on a night snorkel after we made the request. It happened to be the lowest tide of the year. The boat ride from Zanzibar City and back were very slow in moderate seas. But the trip was worth it. It was our only snorkeling on the African continent and it was good, though it wasn’t the Coral Triangle. Chumbe is the only place where we have encountered and learned about coconut crabs.
The four cabins are VERY rustic. That added to its appeal for us. The food was excellent. The staff was excellent, both helpful and accommodating. The “cabins” are simple with no solid walls, made from local materials, and no A/C. The toilets are waterless natural toilets. For access to the beds, you need to climb a ladder. It rained while we were there, and the cabin kept us dry.
At low tide you can walk around the island and explore the tide pools.
We stayed at Chumbe for seven nights in Sept 2021. It was an unusually long stay, but we like to take advantage of everything offered at a location. (We also went on safari in the Masai Mara and stayed at Mnemba and Stone Town on same trip. Mnemba was fantastic but crazy expensive now. We took advantage of COVID era steep discounts.)
As to snorkeling Chumbe, the main reef is along the west side of the island, you can snorkel on your own, and it is about 1 mile/1.6 km in length. It is guarded by locals employed by Chumbe from fisherman at both ends and for this reason still has large fish. I would rate the reef among the best in Africa (but that is a lower scale than Raja Ampat, Indonesia).
The reef is a bit deep for snorkeling in most places but if you time the tides you can get closer to the action. If you can freedive up to 2-5 meters you will see more. It does have some shelves and areas which are 1-3 meters in depth. I spend 3-4 hours at a time in the water and made two snorkeling swings per day up and down the reef. I saw too many fish to name, but many high quality sightings. Also you can have staff take you around the east side of the island into shallow grassy areas which have different marine life including some sea slugs.
The resort itself is renown for the enormous coconut crabs which you will see everyday. Food was very good and staff friendly and accommodating. The sea view bungalows have more breeze than the garden ones. Note the toilets are waterless pit toilets but did not smell awful. Cabins have solar lights and staff hooked up a battery for me so I could use my CPAP machine. Otherwise you charge phones and camera batteries at the main restaurant area. I would say a stay of 3-4 nights would be plenty for most people.