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Imagine Africa  >  Destinations  >  Zanzibar Archipelago  >  Sea Sense conservation
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Introducing Tanzania and Zanzibar

Watch our video to see why our specialists love Tanzania and Zanzibar...

Free Tanzania Guidebook

We've put together a guidebook with everything you need to know about Tanzania and Zanzibar. Written by our specialists, it details destination information, a wildlife guide, some suggested itineraries and plenty more to inspire your holiday. Fill in the form below and if you live in UK, your guidebook will arrive by post within the next couple of days. For those who live abroad, we will send you a copy by email.

Kenya and Zanzibar

Combining the wildlife rich plains of Kenya with its own palm flanked coastline or the shores of Zanzibar makes for a truly unforgettable safari and beach holiday. Offering wildlife encounters and ultimate relaxation in equal measure, this tried and tested combination promises the best of both in eastern Africa.

Safari and beach holidays

Home to unrivalled wildlife viewing and one of the world’s most impressive coastlines, there is no better place to combine a beach and safari trip than in Africa.

Swimming with whale sharks

October to March is whale shark season on Mafia Island, and heading out in search of these majestic creatures is one of the most popular activities on the island at this time of year.

Top 5 diving spots

Zanzibar and Tanzania are fantastic for divers. We asked our Tanzania specialist and diving enthusiast Pierre to whittle down his top five spots for going in search of the colourful sea life.

Wildlife guide

Zanzibar's coastline is an underwater paradise. Bursting with marine life, it is the perfect destination for an unforgettable scuba diving and snorkelling adventure. In land too, Zanzibar is home to a catalogue of unique and endemic wildlife. Here's our guide to what to spot where in Zanzibar.

Zanzibar honeymoons

Zanzibar is an ever-popular choice with honeymooners; it is extraordinarily romantic with its beautiful white, sandy beaches, clear turquoise waters and some fantastic places to stay. Conveniently only a short distance from both the Tanzanian mainland and Kenya makes Zanzibar an ideal choice for a premier safari and beach honeymoon.

Family favourites

With soft white sands and crystal clear waters, Zanzibar is the perfect beach add-on to a family safari holiday or even a tropical island getaway on its own. The calm waters around Zanzibar are perfect for young children and on-land there is plenty to keep all ages entertained too. From spotting bush babies in the Jozani-Chwaka National Park to visiting a traditional Swahali village and kitesurfing in the Indian Ocean, Zanzibar is an adventure playground for young and old.

Africa Weddings

Africa is perfect for weddings, and really does have it all - sunshine, stunning beaches, breathtaking scenery and safari! So much simpler than a UK wedding to organise, your African wedding will also be far more affordable than getting married at home, and can combine fantastically with a honeymoon.

Honeymoon Gift List

We want every Imagine Africa honeymoon to be a trip of a lifetime – and as part of this service we offer a honeymoon gift list. A gift list makes it easy for your friends and family to give you what you'd really like. Our honeymoon gift list allows friends and family to contribute any amount of money towards number of activities, treatments, upgrades, or extras – all chosen by you.

The conservation work of Sea Sense

On a recent trip to Mafia Island, Matt was able to meet with the people behind Sea Sense – an NGO that works closely with coastal communities in Tanzania to conserve and protect endangered marine species. Here at Imagine we are big supporters of this important organisation. Here’s what Lindsey and Boniventure had to say on the work they are doing on Mafia Island…

As explained by Lindsey and Boniventure, tourism is extremely important for the conservation of marine species. If you want to plan a trip to Mafia Island, get in touch with our specialists on 020 3141 2810.

What does Sea Sense do in Mafia?

Sea Sense is concerned with the conservation and protection of endangered marine species (sea turtles, dugong and whale sharks) and their habitats. Our work centres around four priority areas: research and conservation; education and capacity development; sustainable livelihoods; and governance and leadership. In Mafia we are conducting a sea turtle population census, carrying out research into sea turtle behaviour so that we can develop more robust conservation measures, and implementing a sea turtle ecotourism initiative. We are also conducting research into the distribution and abundance of dugongs and developing dugong conservation plans in collaboration with local communities. We are conducting fishery management training for community based fishery managers and implementing a waste management education programme that includes a flip-flop recycling project. Almost all threats to these species are human induced so it is critical that Sea Sense works closely with local communities including village councils, community fishery managers, primary and secondary schools, district councils and Marine Park Wardens. Sea Sense has established a network of community Conservation Officers in Mafia Island. Conservation Officers patrol nesting beaches each day, protect nests from predators and poachers and lead the sea turtle ecotourism initiative. They also serve as a vital link between Sea Sense and their community and act as ‘ambassadors for conservation’. Our ultimate goal is to change attitudes towards biodiversity conservation and change negative behaviours that threaten marine ecosystems and the biodiversity they support.

What are the biggest problems facing marine life in Mafia?

Sea turtles are facing a big threat from poaching in Mafia. Coastal communities have traditionally eaten sea turtle meat for generations and there are widespread myths and beliefs about the health benefits of eating turtle meat, for example that it increases fertility. Poaching for meat is common in Mafia, particularly in migrant fisher camps, even though it is illegal under Tanzanian fishery legislation. Both sea turtles and whale sharks are threatened by local fishing activities. They can become entangled in fishing nets which causes significant distress and in the case of sea turtles, eventual drowning. The problems we at Sea Sense face are predominantly caused by low levels of citizen awareness of the importance of biodiversity conservation, weak enforcement of laws and regulations protecting marine biodiversity, and poor prioritisation of the marine sector within higher levels of government.

How important is tourism for the conservation of marine species?

Tourism is extremely important because it brings people into closer contact with wildlife which has the potential to increase public appreciation of the marine environment and to spread awareness of threats to marine species and their habitats. This interaction may heighten awareness of the value of nature and lead to environmentally conscious behavior and activities to preserve the environment. Furthermore, a proportion of tourism revenue can be reinvested into conservation and local community development initiatives. A good example of this is the sea turtle ecotourism initiative established by Sea Sense in Mafia Island. Sea Sense receives $10 for every visitor who participates in an excursion to a nesting beach. Half of the revenue is retained by Sea Sense to support sea turtle conservation in Mafia and the other half is used for community development projects in villages close to nesting beaches. The revenue has been used to purchase school desks and books, solar panels for schools and supplies for village dispensaries. The initiative is helping communities to understand that tourism and conservation can generate economic benefits.

How can tourists help?

Tourists can help by participating in well managed ecotourism initiatives that benefit local wildlife and local people and making donations to the project if they have enjoyed the experience. Also, sharing information with friends and family back home can help to raise awareness of the plight of marine life in Tanzania.

Can you give us three interesting and unusual facts about sea turtles?

1. Turtles have one of the most advanced homing mechanisms in the animal kingdom. Female turtles return to the same nesting site every breeding season and can navigate across open oceans, travelling thousands of kilometres to reach their nesting sites. These nesting beaches are the very same beaches that they were born on several years before.
2. The gender of turtle hatchlings depends on how hot or cold their environment was while they were in incubating in their eggs. Warm temperatures produce more female hatchlings, whereas cooler temperatures result in males.
3. It is estimated that only one hatchling in a thousand will make it to adulthood due to threats from poaching for meat, predation by animals, entanglement in fishing nets and pollution.

And how about whale sharks – can you give us three interesting facts about them?

1. Whale sharks can grow up to 14 metres and weigh up to 12 tons.
2. The whale shark population in Mafia is made up of juveniles and dominated by males measuring up to 9 metres.
3. When a whale shark is feeding, its mouth can gape 1.5m wide. This creates tremendous suction that makes it impossible for its prey (shrimps, larvae and small fish) to swim out of the way.

When is the best time of year to see sea turtles hatching and whale sharks in Mafia?
The peak nesting season for green turtles in Mafia is in April and May, although nesting activity continues until the end of July. Green turtle eggs have an average incubation period of 55 days, which means June to September is the best time to see the hatchlings emerging from their nest.

Whale sharks are resident in Mafia all year round but they feed at the surface between September and April which means they are easily visible during these months. Between May and September they feed in deeper waters and are rarely seen.

Finally, what do you hope for the future of the Marine Park?

We hope that local communities living within and around Mafia Island Marine Park are able to participate more fully in the conservation and management of local marine resources, and that they come to recognise that environmental conservation is fundamentally linked to human health and wellbeing.

As explained by Lindsey and Boniventure, tourism is extremely important for the conservation of marine species.

If you want to plan a trip to Mafia Island, get in touch with our specialists on 020 3141 2810.

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