Pange Sandbank

A bright white sandbank in the Zanzibar Channel 5 km west of Stone Town, Pange drops away on its western edge to a sculpted reef at 8 to 22 m that hosts the highest density of reef sharks on the main island — whitetips rest in the deeper channels and blacktips patrol the shallows so reliably that Pange is Zanzibar's best entry-level shark dive. The sandy plateau at 12 m is the site's social hub: yellow and black spotted garden eels sway in dense colonies from the seafloor, bluespotted ribbontail rays shuffle across the sand, and the clear water above hosts large napoleon wrasse that have grown comfortable with respectful divers over many years. Sunlight penetrates to full depth throughout the day making this an excellent site for underwater photography.