Forbes Bay

Forbes Bay opens onto Chole Bay's most sheltered corner — a broad, gently sloping reef system that transitions from seagrass and rubble shallows into dense coral gardens at 12 metres and a sandy terrace at 25 — where the calm water and exceptional biodiversity make it Mafia's best site for underwater photography and night diving. The bay's coral formations include massive Porites colonies estimated at several hundred years old, soft coral trees in vivid yellows and purples, and an extraordinary variety of reef fish dominated by anthias clouds, butterflyfish in at least eight species, and hunting groupers. Turtle encounters here are among the most reliable on the Tanzanian coast — both green and hawksbill turtles forage and rest throughout the bay year-round.