Kinasi Pass
Dive site
A tidal channel between Mafia Island and Juani Island that funnels Indian Ocean water through a pass just wide enough to produce exhilarating drift dives. At the right tide the current sweeps divers over hard coral and rubble at 2 to 3 knots, delivering a natural blue-water conveyor past schools of yellowfin tuna, spinner dolphins riding the flow, and occasional hammerhead sharks cruising the channel edge. The pass walls are encrusted in gorgonian fans and black coral trees at 20 to 28 m. Time the dive to arrive on the incoming tide for the fastest flow and best pelagic encounters.
Conditions
Depth
8 to 28 m
Open water and up
Current
Often strong
Can pick up on the edge
Visibility
5 to 12 m
Clearest in the calm season
Water
23 to 30°C
5mm wetsuit
Month by month
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water (°C) | 27 | 27 | 28 | 27 | 26 | 24 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 |
| Vis (m) | 15 | 15 | 12 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 15 | 15 |
| Current | Strong | Strong | Moderate | Moderate | Strong | Strong | Strong | Moderate | Moderate | Strong | Strong | Strong |
Your chances of seeing each animal
Spinner dolphin
Photo: martinmoscovich · CC BY-NC
Sometimes
About 1 in 3 dives
Giant trevally
Photo: Nikolai Vladimirov · CC BY-NC
Sometimes
About 1 in 3 dives
Yellowfin tuna
Photo: Almcglashan · CC BY-SA
Rare
Now and then
Scalloped hammerhead
Photo: Kris Mikael Krister · CC BY
Rare
Now and then
Field journal
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Gear
Basic kit
For this site
- SMB + reel · Drift exits mid-channel in open water with dhow traffic overhead — a deployed SMB is mandatory so the boat can track you.
- Computer with compass · The channel runs on a bend and divers can exit disoriented in low-visibility flood tides. A compass bearing to the exit point is essential.