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Cabo Delgado is the most northerly province of Mozambique. The Capital of Cabo Delgado is Pemba, which is situated at the mouth of a large bay of the same name. Pemba Bay is considered to be the world largest inland bay and it is 375 sq kms in size with beautiful blue water that is uniformly 24 metres deep.
There has never been much trading activity at Pemba with the result that there is not much industry at Pemba and this has proved beneficial as the natural beauty has been kept and the magnificent beaches are not polluted.
PEMBA
The small coastal city of Pemba sits right at the northern tip of Mozambique and is the gateway to scuba diving across the Quirimbas Archipelago, a largely unexplored chain of 32 Indian Ocean islands along the northern Mozambique coast. It is a delightful eco-holiday destination with warm azure waters, untouched coral reefs, white sandy beaches, wildlife and historical significance.
The northern Mozambican coastline around Pemba boasts an astounding diversity of marine species, such as Moray Eels, Stingrays, Barracuda, Kingfish and other pelagic gamefish. Dolphins are frequently encountered, and Leatherback, Loggerhead and Green turtles are often seen in the water, whilst humpback whales can be sighted offshore between August and October.
The reefs are fairly unexplored and the diving is unexpected. Around the outer edges of the massive bay are small cliff walls, lush mangroves and beautiful white sand beaches that lead to prolific, small reefs consisting of hard corals and masses of small fish.
Most dives are shallow but there are a variety of sites and even some incredible muck diving if you head inside the bay and past the shipping port. The visibility tends to be low, especially in the rainy season as several rivers dump freshwater and sediment into the bay, but the critter life is unbelievable.
MEMBA BAY - NUARRO
Nuarro is situated in the Nanatha Half Moon Bay at the southern point of the larger MembaBay on the Baixo do Pinda Peninsula. The direct access to the sea, the closeness of the continental shelf and undiscovered sites make Nuarro a perfect diving location.
The Nanatha Bay is ideal for all levels of diving because it offers the diver entry from the shore, with a natural buffer to the prevailing currents and has a gradual sloping bottom topography that slowly slips away towards the start of the shelf which sits just 200m from the beach.
Along the stunning Baixo do Pinda walls are the more challenging dives these are reached by boat (25 to 60 mins boat rides). The bottom topography in the Nanatha Bay is very dramatic, with sections of vertical drop-offs, swim throughs, shallow caves and colourful pinacles.
For the learner or diver looking for a more mellow experience the shallow areas (10 to 15 metres) of Nuarro home-reef are full of life. These areas are full of coral bommies, sandy stretches and sea grasses. The proximity to the mangrove, optimal water temperature and visibility is reflected on the great diversity of coral and coral dependent spieces. Large pelagic life is found along the Baixo do Pinda walls where currents are stronger.
HOW TO GET THERE
There are daily flights from Johannesburg International airport (via Maputo) to Nampula and Pemba. Twice per week direct flights from Johannesburg to Pemba. And three times per week from Dar Es Salam and Nairobi. Transfer time from Nampula Airport to Nuarro is 45 minutes.
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