Whale Sharks of Mafia

Whale sharks are the largest fish in the sea, reaching lengths well over ten metres, and are entirely harmless filter feeders. The water off Mafia, enriched by outflow from the Rufiji delta, draws them in to feed near the surface, which is what makes swimming with them possible here. Numbers and timing vary from year to year with plankton, currents and weather.

A trip usually leaves in the morning. The boat searches for a feeding shark near the surface, and when one is found a small group of snorkellers slips quietly into the water ahead of its path and lets it pass. You may get several minutes, or seconds; the shark decides. Boats do not chase or corner animals, and a good crew will call you back out if the shark shows signs of being crowded.

The rules exist for the sharks. Typical codes of conduct require no touching, no flash photography, no scuba, a limited number of swimmers in the water at a time, a minimum distance from the body and a greater distance from the tail, and boats keeping to low speeds nearby. Please choose an operator that follows them, and be prepared for a morning that finds nothing at all — that happens, and it is the honest price of a wild encounter.