Mafia Island

Lying off the east coast of Tanzania opposite the Rufiji River Delta, Mafia is the third largest island encompassing the Tanzanian territory and is part of a small archipelago with several smaller islands.

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To the west lies Kilindoni town, whilst to the east lies Chole Bay, a deep-water anchorage and harbour-studded with islets, beaches and sandbanks. The bay is part of the Mafia Island Marine Park that was established in 1995. The island is a popular spot for divers and is well known for finding whale sharks.

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The area is additionally popular with bird lovers as it was designated as an Important Bird Area (IBA) by Birdlife International because of supporting populations of Terek Sandpipers, Crab plovers and Western reef egrets.