Ras Kisimani

Ras Kisimani is the southernmost point of Mafia Island and one of East Africa's most dramatic open-ocean dives — a rocky headland swept by powerful Indo-Pacific currents where the coral coverage on the exposed face rivals anything in the Mozambique Channel, draped in whip corals, enormous gorgonian fans, and sea whips extending three metres or more into the flow. The current-exposed outer reef reliably produces the park's most impressive pelagic encounters: hammerhead sharks in the June to September season, large schools of barracuda and jacks circling the point, and the occasional tiger shark cruising the deep blue margin of the reef edge. Only experienced drift divers should attempt the point, but the adjacent sheltered bay offers an extraordinary second dive on pristine coral gardens accessible to all levels.