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Bazaruto & Vilanculos dive sites

The Bazaruto Archipelago has thirteen surveyed dive sites, all dived from Vilanculos, Mozambique, from a 7-metre tidal channel to a 36-metre pinnacle on the edge of a 300-metre canyon. Four of them sit inside Open Water limits.

The catalogue

The 13 best dive sites in Bazaruto

Grouped by the certification you need. Depth and visibility are survey figures from the Bazaruto Center for Scientific Studies (BCSS).

Best dive sites for beginners (Open Water, to 18 m)

Four sites, all 18 m or shallower, inside the PADI Open Water limit of 18 m. BCSS calls Kingfish Alley “a perfect location for dive training, and amateur divers,” and the Gap has some of the best visibility in the catalogue. The shallow end here is genuinely good diving, not a consolation prize.

Gap (2 Mile)

Depth
7–14 m
Visibility
12–22 m

The tidal channel where the inside of the archipelago meets the open ocean. Sharks, rays, trevallies and turtles gather to rest and feed depending on the tide; garden eels, octopus and nudibranchs in the sand. BCSS rates its visibility the best of any site they dive.

Night dives

Kingfish Alley

Depth
10–14 m
Visibility
6–12 m

A colourful shallow reef patch named for the bluefin trevallies that live on it. Turtles, the occasional reef shark, leaf fish and nudibranchs for the macro hunters. This is where courses happen.

Night dives

Atlantis (5 Mile)

Depth
9–17 m
Visibility
8–16 m

A maze of rocky caves, overhangs, table tops and swim-throughs, all of it packed with macro life, with green turtles and parrot fish over the top.

Turtle Coves

Depth
16–18 m
Visibility
6–16 m

A shallow coral patch in the sand where turtles come to rest and get cleaned. Green, loggerhead and hawksbill all recorded. Rays and reef sharks pass through, and dolphins sometimes come close.

Night dives

Advanced Open Water dive sites (to 30 m)

Two more sites, to 22 m. PADI certifies Advanced Open Water divers to 30 m.

9-Mile Shallow

Depth
13–22 m
Visibility
8–16 m

A shallow reef that keeps going down past diving depth, patrolled by sharks and sometimes by large shoals of giant trevally. Deep water nearby brings tuna, with whales and dolphins at the surface.

Forrest Gump

Depth
14–22 m
Visibility
12–22 m

The macro site: rare nudibranchs, shrimps, anemones and pygmy cuttlefish, with a drop-off on one side that brings sharks, rays and turtles past. It can run strong currents.

Deep dive sites (beyond 30 m)

Seven sites that all bottom out past 30 m. Four of them start shallow enough to dive within Advanced limits if you stay high on the structure. Both sites where hammerheads are recorded are in this group.

Amphitheatre

Depth
14–32 m
Visibility
8–22 m

A chain of pinnacles rising from deep ocean into shallow water, with some of the best macro and megafauna in the archipelago: large groupers, brindle bass, huge trevally shoals and deep coral.

Top within Advanced limits

The Rollercoaster

Depth
14–33 m
Visibility
12–22 m

Seamounts on the edge of the continental shelf in the San Sebastian area, at the southern end of the archipelago. Pinnacles, plateaus, overhangs and swim-throughs, with bull sharks and giant groupers.

Top within Advanced limits

The FAD

Depth
14–33 m
Visibility
3–8 m

A tractor engine abandoned on open sand that has become an artificial reef, crowded with small fish, crabs, lionfish, snake eels and batfish. The worst visibility here. Nobody dives it for the view.

Night dives / Top within Advanced limits

Three Trees

Depth
26–33 m
Visibility
8–16 m

An isolated reef in the north, surrounded by sand, which is what makes it a magnet. Big coral bommies and a cleaning station where giant manta rays come in, often with bull sharks.

Shark Vaal

Depth
26–33 m
Visibility
6–16 m

A flat deep reef cut with crevasses: groupers, brindle bass, giant trevallies and barracuda. Sandbanks sit close by, so visibility can collapse quickly and conditions change more than anywhere else.

Night dives

Area 51

Depth
26–32 m
Visibility
6–16 m

A pinnacle rising out of a deep channel, where the survey notes say it is impossible to predict what turns up next. Hammerheads, zebra, whitetip and grey reef sharks, giant mantas, giant groupers, yellowfin tuna overhead.

Top within Advanced limits

Marlin Pinnacles

Depth
28–36 m
Visibility
6–16 m

A double pinnacle on the side of a 300-metre canyon, which pulls open-ocean life onto it. Car-size groupers, scalloped and great hammerheads, bull sharks, dusky sharks and giant manta rays. BCSS rates it “only suitable for experienced divers.”

Experienced divers only

Compare all 13 in one table
SiteDepthVisibilitySuitsKnown for
Gap (2 Mile)7–14 m12–22 mOpen WaterTidal channel; best visibility of the catalogue
Kingfish Alley10–14 m6–12 mOpen WaterThe training site; resident bluefin trevallies
Atlantis (5 Mile)9–17 m8–16 mOpen WaterCaves, swim-throughs and table tops
Turtle Coves16–18 m6–16 mOpen WaterA turtle cleaning station
9-Mile Shallow13–22 m8–16 mAdvancedShallow reef dropping past diving depth
Forrest Gump14–22 m12–22 mAdvancedMacro; pygmy cuttlefish. Strong currents
Amphitheatre14–32 m8–22 mAdvanced+Pinnacle chain; massive trevally shoals
The Rollercoaster14–33 m12–22 mAdvanced+Seamounts on the continental shelf edge
The FAD14–33 m3–8 mAdvanced+An abandoned tractor engine turned reef
Three Trees26–33 m8–16 mDeepManta ray cleaning station, with bull sharks
Shark Vaal26–33 m6–16 mDeepFlat deep reef; conditions change fast
Area 5126–32 m6–16 mDeepHammerheads, giant mantas, yellowfin tuna
Marlin Pinnacles28–36 m6–16 mExperienced only300 m canyon edge; car-size groupers

Wildlife

Best time to dive Bazaruto: marine life by month

Sightings here are far more seasonal than the year-round marketing suggests, and the swing is not what most visitors assume. BCSS grades 45 species by month. These are the 24 that actually change through the year.

Zebra and nurse shark season: November to March

Reliable from November to March, effectively gone from April to October. The opposite of almost everything else on the chart.

Hammerhead season: May to November

Scalloped hammerheads are close to absent from December through April, and only recorded at the two deep sites, Marlin Pinnacles and Area 51.

Turtle season: March to October

Green and loggerhead turtles are Excellent from March to October, hawksbills from April to September. The opposite of the warm-months assumption most visitors arrive with.

  • Excellent seen on 50–90% of dives
  • Good 20–50%
  • Low 0–20%
Monthly sightings grades: Bazaruto Center for Scientific Studies
JanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctoberNovemberDecemberBest months
Turtles
Green turtle GoodGoodExcellentExcellentExcellentExcellentExcellentExcellentExcellentExcellentGoodGood Mar–Oct
Loggerhead turtle GoodGoodExcellentExcellentExcellentExcellentExcellentExcellentExcellentExcellentGoodGood Mar–Oct
Hawksbill turtle GoodGoodGoodExcellentExcellentExcellentExcellentExcellentExcellentGoodGoodGood Apr–Sep
Rays
Giant reef manta ray LowExcellentGoodExcellentExcellentExcellentExcellentExcellentExcellentGoodGoodGood Feb, Apr–Sep
Devil ray LowLowExcellentExcellentExcellentExcellentExcellentExcellentExcellentExcellentGoodGood Mar–Oct
Spotted eagle ray LowLowExcellentExcellentExcellentGoodGoodGoodGoodGoodGoodGood Mar–May
Jenkins whip ray LowLowGoodGoodExcellentExcellentExcellentExcellentExcellentExcellentExcellentGood May–Nov
Bluespotted ribbontail ray LowLowLowGoodGoodExcellentExcellentExcellentExcellentExcellentExcellentGood Jun–Nov
Round ribbontail ray LowLowGoodGoodGoodGoodExcellentExcellentExcellentGoodGoodGood Jul–Sep
Honeycomb sting ray LowLowLowLowLowGoodExcellentExcellentExcellentExcellentExcellentGood Jul–Nov
Kuhl’s mask ray LowLowLowLowLowGoodGoodExcellentExcellentGoodGoodGood Aug–Sep
Giant guitarfish GoodGoodExcellentExcellentGoodGoodGoodExcellentExcellentExcellentExcellentGood Mar–Apr, Aug–Nov
Sharks
Scalloped hammerhead LowLowLowLowExcellentExcellentExcellentGoodExcellentExcellentExcellentLow May–Jul, Sep–Nov
Zebra shark ExcellentExcellentExcellentLowLowLowLowLowLowLowExcellentExcellent Nov–Mar
Nurse shark GoodGoodGoodLowLowLowLowLowLowLowGoodGood Good Nov–Mar
Bull shark ExcellentExcellentExcellentGoodGoodGoodGoodGoodExcellentExcellentExcellentExcellent Sep–Mar
Oceanic blacktip shark ExcellentExcellentExcellentExcellentGoodGoodGoodExcellentExcellentExcellentExcellentExcellent Aug–Apr
Blacktip reef shark ExcellentExcellentGoodGoodGoodGoodGoodGoodGoodExcellentExcellentExcellent Oct–Feb
Grey reef shark GoodGoodExcellentExcellentExcellentExcellentExcellentExcellentExcellentExcellentExcellentExcellent Mar–Dec
Big fish
Giant trevally ExcellentExcellentExcellentGoodLowLowLowGoodExcellentExcellentExcellentExcellent Sep–Mar
African pompano LowLowLowGoodGoodLowGoodGoodExcellentExcellentGoodLow Sep–Oct
Brindle bass ExcellentExcellentExcellentGoodGoodGoodExcellentExcellentExcellentExcellentExcellentExcellent Jul–Mar
Cobia GoodGoodGoodExcellentExcellentExcellentExcellentExcellentGoodGoodGoodGood Apr–Aug
Yellowspotted trevally GoodGoodExcellentExcellentExcellentExcellentExcellentGoodExcellentExcellentExcellentGood Mar–Jul, Sep–Nov

Year-round marine life in Bazaruto

  • Great barracuda
  • Moray eel
  • Octopus
  • Lionfish
  • Crocodile fish
  • Parrot fish

Where to find them

Shark, manta ray and turtle diving in Bazaruto

Big animals hold still at cleaning stations, and the pelagic species stay on the deep, exposed structures.

Turtle and manta cleaning stations

Three of the thirteen sites. Turtle Coves is the shallow one, a coral patch in the sand where green, loggerhead and hawksbill turtles come to rest and be cleaned. Three Trees is the manta ray station, where giant mantas come in over the coral bommies with bull sharks in attendance. Marlin Pinnacles has one too, on the wall of its canyon.

Shark diving

Reef sharks, blacktip and grey, turn up across most of the catalogue. The pelagic species concentrate on the deep sites: Marlin Pinnacles and Area 51 for hammerheads; Shark Vaal, Three Trees and The Rollercoaster for bull sharks. Zebra sharks are recorded at Area 51.

Manta ray diving

Recorded at Three Trees, Area 51 and Marlin Pinnacles, all three of them deep sites. There is no shallow manta dive in this archipelago.

Night diving in Bazaruto

At five sites: Gap (2 Mile), Kingfish Alley, Turtle Coves, Shark Vaal and The FAD. They are the shallower end of the catalogue, which is what makes them workable in the dark; the deep pinnacles are day dives only. The FAD is the interesting one after sunset: a metal structure crowded with crabs, snake eels and lionfish behaves very differently at night.

Diving with EKAYA

Scuba diving trips from Vilanculos

We don't own a dive boat. We match you to the right course, boat and schedule, and tell you straight which reefs are realistic for your level and dates.

Scuba Diving in Vilanculos From $170 Dive the Bazaruto Archipelago's protected reefs — Two Mile Reef, the channel sites, and the clearest water on this stretch of coast. Two PADI operators in town. See the trip Whale Shark Safari From $100 Snorkel with whale sharks off Vilanculos — the Bazaruto waters hold them year-round, the same as Tofo. Ocean safari format, no diving certification needed. See the trip Snorkeling in Vilanculos From $110 Two Mile Reef. The Magaruque lagoon. Santa Carolina. All built into our flagship island day trips, with gear included. See the trip
All Vilanculos tours Bazaruto Archipelago guide Vilanculos vs Tofo

Sources

  • Bazaruto Center for Scientific Studies

    Dive site depths, visibility, topography, species records and the monthly sightings grades. BCSS runs a permanent ocean observatory and PADI 5-Star dive centre on Benguerra Island and has mapped all thirteen sites in 3D.

  • PADI

    Certification depth limits: PADI's standard Open Water (18 m) and Advanced Open Water (30 m) limits, applied here to the published depth ranges.

  • Mission Blue

    The Inhambane Seascape, which contains the archipelago, was declared a Mission Blue Hope Spot in January 2022.

Bazaruto diving FAQs

Diving the archipelago.

Last reviewed by Alfredo on 1 October 2026.

How many dive sites are there in the Bazaruto Archipelago?
Thirteen sites have been surveyed and mapped in 3D by the Bazaruto Center for Scientific Studies on Benguerra Island, and that is the set catalogued on this page. PADI’s directory lists fourteen sites for the archipelago. Other listings name additional reefs that have never been formally surveyed — we have left those out rather than publish depths we cannot trace to a source.
Which Bazaruto dive sites can I dive as an Open Water diver?
Four of the thirteen sit inside the 18-metre PADI Open Water limit: Gap (2 Mile) at 7–14 m, Kingfish Alley at 10–14 m, Atlantis at 9–17 m and Turtle Coves at 16–18 m. Two more — Forrest Gump and 9-Mile Shallow — fall inside Advanced Open Water limits at 22 m. The remaining seven all bottom out past 30 m.
Do I need an Advanced certification to dive Bazaruto?
Not to dive here at all — but it opens most of the archipelago. Seven of the thirteen sites go beyond 30 m, including the two where hammerheads are recorded. Kingfish Alley is the site BCSS names for training and newer divers, and the Gap has some of the best visibility of any site in the catalogue, so an Open Water diver is far from stuck. If you are thinking of doing the course here, our Vilanculos diving page covers how the diving works and what a course costs.
Is Gap (2 Mile) the same thing as Two Mile Reef?
Not quite. Two Mile Reef is the large reef between Bazaruto and Benguerra — the one most snorkelling day trips visit, running from about 5 to 22 m down its slope. Gap (2 Mile) is one specific site on it: the tidal channel where the inside of the archipelago meets the open ocean, at 7–14 m. When a dive centre says “Two Mile Reef” they usually mean the reef; when a dive briefing says “the Gap” they mean the channel.
Which dive sites have the best visibility?
Gap (2 Mile), Forrest Gump and The Rollercoaster all record 12–22 m, and Amphitheatre 8–22 m. The Gap is the one BCSS singles out: “visibility tends to be one of the best of all dive sites.” The weakest is The FAD at 3–8 m — though that site is about the artificial reef, not the view.
Where are you most likely to see hammerhead sharks?
Two sites, and only two: Marlin Pinnacles and Area 51. Both are deep, both sit out in open water, and both list scalloped hammerheads in their species record. Timing matters as much as place — scalloped hammerheads run Excellent from May to November in BCSS’s sightings data and drop to Low from December through April.
Can you do night dives in the Bazaruto Archipelago?
At five of the thirteen sites. BCSS lists a “night glow” dive at Gap (2 Mile), Kingfish Alley, Turtle Coves, Shark Vaal and The FAD — the shallower sites, which is what makes them workable after dark. The deep pinnacles are day dives only.
Do EKAYA dives go to all thirteen of these sites?
No, and we would rather say so. This page is a reference to the archipelago’s surveyed dive sites, not a list of what any one boat runs. Which reefs a given trip reaches depends on the boat, the conditions on the day, and your certification — several of these sites are dived from Benguerra rather than from town. Tell us your dates and your level and we will tell you honestly what is reachable, and arrange it for you.
Is there a park fee for diving in the archipelago?
Yes. The dive sites sit inside Bazaruto Archipelago National Park, so the conservation fee applies — paid in meticais at the park office in Vilanculos before you cross. The current rates are on our Bazaruto Archipelago guide. This is normally handled as part of the trip; check whether your quote includes it.
When is the best time of year to dive Bazaruto?
It depends entirely on what you want to see, which is the point of the calendar above. Turtles, manta rays and hammerheads all peak between roughly March and November. Zebra and nurse sharks do the opposite — they are best from November to March and effectively absent for the rest of the year. Reef fish, moray eels, barracuda and octopus are Excellent every month of the year. For seas and weather rather than species, see the best time to visit Vilanculos.

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