We landed in Mafia in a tiny airport much like the one in Borneo. We got a ride to our lodge and luckily it was a fairly short drive after all the flying. The resort was nice and there was a bit of a mixup with the cabins but we got it figured out quickly. It had a beach front with really shallow water and some lounge chairs on the shore. There wasn't much around it either so you could walk a long way without seeing anyone else.
The last time we had been at the ocean was in Hawaii and that was almost a year ago so it was nice to be back to one. All the meals were included and they were super delicious as well. Since it was the off-season for Mafia the resort was almost completely empty so it was like we had the place to ourselves. After two weeks of excitement it was nice to have some time to sit back and relax.
We spent our first day exploring the beach and waded out in the shallow waters at low tide. Brittle Sea Stars lined the ocean floor so we had to watch our step so that we didn't crush any. Along with the sea stars there were some cool shells too. After the tide came back in we hopped in the pool to wash off some of the salt water before going back up to our cottages. Dinner was delicious and we had a quiet night to follow.
In the morning we went on a snorkelling trip to one of the many nearby coral reefs that are part of the national park surrounding us. We went on a wooden boat with a few other guests.
It wasn't long before we were diving into the water and exploring the colourful world below the surface. We snorkelled around a large rock sticking way out of the water with thousands of clams and muscles attached to its sharp cliff walls. After snorkelling at this location for awhile we got back in the boat and headed to another reef. This one had a lot more seagrass but there was a lot of eels hiding in the rocky areas.
We saw two different types of Spotted Moray Eels with 3 of them being orange. We also saw lots of fish and spent a long time exploring the rocky underwater garden.
After everyone got out of the water we headed back to the lodge for the rest of the day. Back at our cabin I went through all the photos on my camera which was over two thousand by now so it took quite awhile to sort through. Another swim in the pool and a great dinner and we called it a day.
The main reason we had decided to visit Mafia Island was to see the famous Whale Sharks that call its waters their home. Luckily we were able to get a trip with a company called Afro Sharks to get a chance to swim with Whale Sharks. We had breakfast at the resort before setting out on our last big adventure of the year. They picked us up in their van and took us to the beach where they left from. We got fit for fins before boarding another old wooden boat and set out into the open ocean.
After two hours of searching we got our first sighting. I put on my flippers and mask and went backwards off the side of the boat. I hit the water with a splash and the cold water engulfed me. I swam back up to the surface and acclimated to the water as I chased after the small group that was following the whale shark. There were quite a few other boats there and I couldn't spot anyone I recognized in the crowd but it didn't matter much cause I knew which boat was ours. The whale shark was moving really fast and a lot of people couldn't keep up with it. I was near the head of the pack and could see it swimming way down below. It was huge but also very graceful as it glided through the water with ease. After following for a few minutes it dove way down into the depths and out of sight. We all met back at the boat and climbed back onboard.
We kept a look out for more and only stopped to have some watermelon for lunch. While we were stopped we went swimming in the clear turquoise water and did flips off the top of the boat.
The water was so clear we could see the ocean floor and the numerous star fish and corals at the bottom. As we were swimming they heard someone report a nearby whale shark sighting on the radio. We all quickly scrambled back onto the ship and put our fins back on as we made our way to the other boats. Once again I fell backwards into the cold water but this time I was ready for it and wasn't as disoriented. I quickly made my way to the group and saw two whale sharks this time. I picked the one that was closest to the surface and followed after him.
He didn't seem any bit bothered by our presence but we were respectful and didn't get too close. He was huge! I made sure to steer clear of his tail as I swam next to him and I was able to keep pace for a long time. Then the gentle giant dove down into the abyss. After watching it leave I popped my head above the water for the first time since jumping off the boat and looked for everyone else. As I was searching for them yet another whale shark was making his way to the surface right below me. Its mouth was wide open and it looked like it was gonna swallow me whole so I swam frantically out of the way. I followed him for awhile before he dove down to the bottom too.
After I found everyone we got back onboard the boat and made our way home.
We spent a couple more days exploring at low tide and swimming in the pool for a total of five nights at the resort before packing up and saying goodbye to new friends and the staff.
We took the same small plane back to Dar el Salaam and then a bigger one to Nairobi where we made it back to the hotel that we had stayed in our very first night in Kenya.
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