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Luko G.-R. | profile | all galleries >> Below surface : underwater photography >> Swahili coast - Northern Mozambique Express tree view | thumbnails | slideshow

Swahili coast - Northern Mozambique Express

14 days in Northern Mozambique and two places dived : Nacala bay/Fernão Veloso and Pemba.

First Nacala bay really hit my attention. The dives were done in a lovely operation called Bay Diving and aptly subtitled "fim do mundo"... probably because there's nothing after and anyway, you don't need to go and check beyond, as they're perfectly settled.

Huge Nacala bay is where whales go for shelter, as well as other marine mammals, in the months of august till november, unfortunately I didn't see any my stay, even though we heard dolphins sing during our dives. Dives were achieved in ideal condition : just Sarah the instructor and me.

Don't count on big stuff though, the place is a paradise for the strangest critters like ghostpipefish, frogfish, scorpionfish and an impressive variety of coral crabs and shrimps. Hard coral is as good as you can get. Strangely, the closest diving to Indonesia I have seen yet.

Unfortunately my flash wire connections dismissed after two dives and I just have a two and a half dives image crop (and no wide angle shots) of this place that would deserve a full week diving.

(Best spots in Nacala bay : hands down Fernão Veloso -a photographer's frustration, both wide angle and macro are required- and also Bay Diving House Reef.)

After a bold repair in a local shop, I could use my camera and flash in Pemba, my next diving stop. I used famous Pieter's CI Divers. Pieter is a long time SA expat in Mozambique, he pioneered the diving in Pemba and won't leave anyone but him guide the good dives.

I wouldn't say that dives were as spectacular in Pemba as in Nacala, Pemba doesn't compete on the visibility, which seems obvious as Nacala bay is very sheltered, but neither in macro fish life too. All in all some nice dives along the deep wall half a mile off Pemba's shore, but rather average dives in the shallower areas. Perhaps also the diving conditions were not as good for me as Pieter had to perform several OW courses in the shallows while I was on my own looking for the fauna.

(Best spots in Pemba : Finger and Wall.)
Nacala Anemone Shrimp
Nacala Anemone Shrimp		 Another Anemone Shrimp
Another Anemone Shrimp		 Nacala Cleaner Shrimp
Nacala Cleaner Shrimp		 Nacala Beak shrimps
Nacala Beak shrimps		 Fernão Veloso Shoreline
Fernão Veloso Shoreline
Coral Structures in Fernão Veloso
Coral Structures in Fernão Veloso		 Sarah working her photography on...
Sarah working her photography on...		 ...A Nacala Robust Ghost Pipefish
...A Nacala Robust Ghost Pipefish		 Sarah from Bay Diving and the Starfish
Sarah from Bay Diving and the Starfish		 One More Starfish in Nacala
One More Starfish in Nacala
Nacala Moray Eel
Nacala Moray Eel		 The Odd Clownfish in Nacala
The Odd Clownfish in Nacala		 Nacala Blue Ribbon Eel
Nacala Blue Ribbon Eel		 Blue Ribbon Eel : a common sight in Nacala
Blue Ribbon Eel : a common sight in Nacala		 Bay Diving resident Frogfish
Bay Diving resident Frogfish
Nacala Harlequin Ghost Pipefish
Nacala Harlequin Ghost Pipefish		 Orange Dotted Pipefish in Nacala
Orange Dotted Pipefish in Nacala		 Nacala Leaf fish profile
Nacala Leaf fish profile		 Little scorpion hidden in Nacala algae
Little scorpion hidden in Nacala algae		 Nacala scorpion profile
Nacala scorpion profile
Starfish Squat Lobster in Pemba
Starfish Squat Lobster in Pemba		 Another Starfish Squat Lobster
Another Starfish Squat Lobster		 A smiling Tubeworm Blenny in Pemba
A smiling Tubeworm Blenny in Pemba		 Pemba Pipefish
Pemba Pipefish		 Same Pipefish smokin' in Pemba
Same Pipefish smokin' in Pemba
Pemba clownfish
Pemba clownfish		 Pemba shy clownfish
Pemba shy clownfish		 Pemba Anthias flock
Pemba Anthias flock		 Pemba red fish
Pemba red fish		 Pemba cowfish
Pemba cowfish

comment | share
black white PM reply 07-Feb-2012 15:20
awesome gallery. wonderful underwater shots.
Dima&Nelya PM reply 11-Jun-2010 14:04
Great gallery Luko!High quality underwater photos (We know it's hard working)!Bravo!
V+!
D&N
Brenda Franck 20-Aug-2008 11:37
Hi. Pity you were in a rush. Sad you only dived in the fishing industry on Wimbi only. There is so much you have missed and I have dived in Nacala, and Pemba can outshine Nacala by a mile. I have been diving in Pemba waters for 17 years, my dive operation is called Pemba Dive & Bush Camp. There are Dolphin Safaries, Dives with dolphin and the orchastra of Whale calls during the dive. Peter wont go there.
What is sadder, that politics if very strong and the estetics of a place THERE IS NO RECOGNITION in conservation. Pemba Dive is still supporting the Marine Police, Police, Agriculture & Fisheries and Environmental Affairs financially, motivation and meetings. You have no idea what a bush camp is with mud bath, walk inside a historical tree, nature walks, secluded beach 10 min from town. You have no idea what Pemba waters offer in total. I can see you are in love with someone. Good luck hope you will have more courage and time to venture, what Pemba can offer you. There is also Kite boarding at El Pirate also a great place in Pemba. Hope you can put a positive impact in conservation which can save the reefs. Kind regards Brenda Franck - pembadive@teledata.mz
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