Milimani

Milimani is a reef area on the Mafia Island side of Chole Bay, Tanzania. Milimani Reef itself is picturesque, with unusual coral formations to navigate and spectacular layered coral peaks. Beyond them lie vast dome-like Porites formations with many lionfish, glass fish and moray eels, and from there the reef slopes away to 21 m with a wide variety of soft and hard corals.

Conditions here are forgiving. The site is only slightly affected by currents, so it is good in all conditions and an excellent second dive.

Milimani South, around 25 minutes away by boat, is a sloping reef of columnar and laminated corals with damselfish, soldierfish and squirrelfish. Where the depth drops to 18 m, big schools of unicorn fish and fusiliers pass, along with good-sized groupers and the occasional bumphead parrotfish. A hawksbill turtle is often seen in this area, and so is a resident giant moray eel with its shrimp companions.