Scuba Season
Underwater reef at Tofo
Declining

Tofo

Mozambique · Indian Ocean

Tofo on Mozambique's southern coast is one of Africa's great big animal destinations — manta cleaning stations, year round whale sharks, humpback whales in season, and a relaxed beach town base. Conditions can be challenging.

How this reef is doing

How we measure this

Reef state

Declining

Whale sharks and mantas drive trips. Coral cover has declined steadily since the late 2010s.

Coral cover

21%
LowHealthy
Moderate

Fish life

Not surveyed

Heat

SafeBleaching

No unusual heat right now.

Safe now

Fishing

QuietBusy

Protected on paper, but boats are still busy nearby.

Limited

Sources · MERMAID and partner coral surveys · NOAA Coral Reef Watch · Global Fishing Watch and reef gravity

What you will see

13 species across the dive sites here

Dive sites

What divers say

Two mantas circling above me and a whale shark passing on the surface, all on the same dive. Tofo does that.
Trip report

Good to know

Surf launches

Boats launch through surf. Hold on.

Gear & getting wet

  • Basic kit

    • Mask and fins
    • BCD and regulator
    • 5mm full wetsuit · cooler water
    • Dive computer
  • For specific sites

    • 5mm wetsuit · Manta Reef
    • SMB · Manta Reef
    • Computer · Giants Castle