Mozambique Diving

Dive with turtles, whale sharks and manta rays in the unspoiled depths of the warm Indian Ocean

Scroll for more

Overview

Mozambique-Loggerhead-turtle

Still a secret. But not for long.

Mozambique is a diver’s secret gem—especially around the Bazaruto Archipelago and the Quirimbas. Here, you can encounter whale sharks, manta rays, turtles, and even the elusive dugong.

Diving in Mozambique offers some of the most pristine, colourful, and crowd-free coral reefs in the Indian Ocean. With its long tropical coastline, scattered islands, and rich marine biodiversity, it’s a paradise for divers seeking something special—without sacrificing luxury.

The colours of the unspoiled reefs are vibrant and pristine. You can see many brightly coloured fish such as blue snappers, tiger fish and butterfly fish.

From the southern coast near Ponta Mamoli to the remote Quirimbas in the far north, Mozambique's dive sites are as diverse as they are spectacular.

Why Dive in Mozambique?

  • World-famous dive sites like Manta Reef and Two Mile Reef
  • Excellent visibility: 10 to 40 metres depending on location and season
  • Warm Indian Ocean waters all year round
  • You may be lucky and see barracuda, giant lobsters, manta rays, moray eels, plus loads of reef fish.
  • Expect encounters with whale sharks, manta rays, turtles, and even the elusive dugong.
  • Unspoiled reefs, with minimal bleaching and low diver traffic

Where to stay on a Mozambique Diving Holiday?

Bazaruto and Benguerra  Islands

Mozambique diving

These postcard-perfect islands offer some of the best diving in the country. You’ll find:

  • Whale sharks, manta rays, turtles, and dolphins
  • Two Mile Reef: famous in local dive circles
  • The Aquarium: shallow dive with vibrant coral and fish, great for all levels, including snorkellers
  • Seasonal (rare) chance to see dugongs grazing in seagrass beds

Where to Stay: Luxury beach lodges like Azura Benguerra and Anantara Bazaruto offer direct access to dive sites and in-house dive centres.

 

Southern Mozambique – Ponta Mamoli, White Pearl & Tofo

Perfect for adventurous divers who want greater affordability with incredible sightings. Diving with the majestic whale shark is a speciality of this area, especially around  White Pearl Resort,

  • Ponta Mamoli: great visibility and big pelagic species. But Rustic accommodation
  • White Pearl Resort: just to the north, luxury meets wild diving
  • Tofo: famous for seasonal gatherings of manta rays and whale sharks
Quirimbas Archipelago – Untouched Beauty

The Quirimbas Archipelago is a far-flung idyllic cluster of coral islands which remains largely undeveloped—and that’s its charm.

  • Remote dive sites with virtually no other divers
  • Untouched coral systems and excellent marine life

Note: Not operational now

Best Time to Dive in Mozambique

Mozambique diving

  • Best conditions: April to November (dry season)
  • Whale shark season: October to March (especially near White Pearl and Tofo)
  • Water temperatures: 24–29°C throughout the year
  • Avoid: January to March due to cyclones in some parts of Mozambique

 

Who would love Mozambique diving?

  • Experienced divers wanting to avoid crowds
  • Couples and honeymooners seeking Indian Ocean luxury without the Maldives cliché or the large Zanzibar resorts
  • Marine wildlife lovers
  • Families with older kids who dive or snorkel

Back to  Luxury Diving Holidays in Africa for more destinations.

Download our Free Safari Planning Guide

20 pages of Useful Tips: Best time to Travel, Safari Costs, How to Get Around, Special Interests and more... Get our Free Guide
Find me the best in for
Clearly experts on South Africa!
"Very helpful on the phone and by email. Lots of detailed advice and clearly experts on South Africa! Would definitely use again and have already recommended to friends. " - Ms Abrahams, UK
Namibia was as wonderful as ever and didn't fail to impress third time around !
"Namibia was as wonderful as ever and didn’t fail to impress third time around ! Thank you for arranging it and for your patience and understanding. It can’t have been easy to keep going and retain the confidence of the suppliers involved in the chain and the customers. We really appreciated it that we were able to have the itinerary we wanted more than 2 years after we planne ..." - Mr Andy
Everything was perfect
"Your service and the holiday you put together for us was faultless. Everything was perfect from the choice of accommodation to the transfers, flights…… everything! It was seamless. " - Mrs Ruth Koper
I would only want to book through Cedarberg
"Thank you so much for booking this experience for us, Mari. Everything was so well organized and went so smoothly, from car rental and driving and hotel directions, to lodge details, inclusions, exclusions, etc. The link you gave us with all the details on the locations we were going to as well as the detailed itinerary and pre-departure information was very helpful. We’re grateful for your e ..." - Mrs Michelle B
Cedarberg recommendations matched perfectly!
"Cedarberg have a detailed knowledge of the country and took time to understand our budget, desires and preferences to create a wonderful multi-centred holiday for us. They were helpful fine-tuning the itinerary and put together a comprehensive package covering all our needs. We have used Cedarberg previously and each holiday has been fabulous. We will have no hesitation using them for our next ..." - Mr Brian Collins UK
 
staff image

Anja du Plessis

AFRICAN TRAVEL SPECIALIST

Hi I'm Anja, I'm here to help you plan your ideal holiday experience GET IN TOUCH