Mnemba Island snorkeling and Swimming with Dolphin

We did a lot of research into this activity before booking due to a lot of these tours being quite unethical but decided to book with these guys after reading the reviews and did not regret it one bit! A lot of tours will involve finding the pod of dolphins, having huge amounts of boats surrounding them and making you jump in, these guys did not do that, instead they drove away from the crowds and had us jump in at an area ahead of where the dolphins were swimming, making it much less stressful for the dolphins and a much more pleasant experience for us! The guides were very friendly and knowledgeable, really looked after their customers and provided a gorgeous platter of fresh fruit! The tour also included snorkelling close to Mnemba island, the tour guide snorkelled with us showing us the best spots to find the fish. We absolutely loved this experience and would highly recommend! Thank you so much for one of the best days we had on our trip to Zanzibar!

Great value tour with very kind guides. They have the best eyes in the business & were able to get us SO close multiple times. Unfortunately the sand bar was covered by the tide, but instead they took us to a beach for a fruit break. Very fun boat ride! I was scared to jump in the water on top of the dolphins, so I waited a little bit and yet I still saw the baby dolphins with their pods up close. I sincerely recommend this tour!

Was amazing would definitely go again

Together with my sister I did an afternoon tour. It was a beautiful experience to take to the bright blue water. We had a group of 9 people, if dolphins were spotted you could jump into the water together with Mustafa, the guide who gave you advice. After the dolphins we went to a snorkel spot where the whole group followed Mustafa who had a lifebuoy with him. He pointed out special fish and stopped regularly to ask if everyone was feeling well. A nice special afternoon! TIP: bring sunscreen and wear a t-shirt in the water, the sun is unrelenting.

We had a really great experience! Everything was well organized, the guide was professional, kind, and very attentive to our needs. We felt everything was fair, transparent, and honest, and we never felt taken advantage of. We are truly satisfied and would definitely recommend this tour to anyone visiting Zanzibar.

So lucky to have seen the dolphins, which seem to swim with some quiet strength. We had booked online and we joined the crew at the meeting point easily. We were able to rent them a gopro to capture the dives. The snorkel spot was very nice we saw many fish of all colors.

Great experience! It was a little confusing when we first arrived but as soon as we got going, it was great. They really tried hard to find the dolphins and get you in the water before lots of other boats. Great time at the sand bar and great snorkeling at the reef.

We are a family of four from Norway and went on two trips with Captain Barnaba between Christmas and New Year. We can highly recommend both him and his crew. Our first trip was to the Mnema area for snorkeling and an attempt to spot dolphins. Unfortunately, due to the weather, we didn’t see any dolphins, but the crew did everything they could to locate them. In the end, we had to cut the trip short because of time constraints on our part. The second trip took us to Tumbatu for more snorkeling and another attempt to find the (for us) elusive dolphins. This time we hit the jackpot and were able to swim with them several times — an unforgettable experience. Through no fault of the crew, both snorkeling and dolphin watching can sometimes feel a bit hectic due to the large number of boats in the area. However, our crew was excellent, always putting safety first and ensuring that no unnecessary risks were taken. Even though the snorkeling around Tumbatu wasn’t great, it was still a really nice day out. For snorkeling, Mnemba was the better option. They also lent us a GoPro, which allowed us to capture some fantastic videos of swimming with the dolphins. Communication was outstanding throughout — they were available at all hours and very flexible, making sure we went out during the best possible weather windows. We can highly recommend Captain Barnaba and his crew.

Amazing experience! Very good guides that are flexible and make sure you have a valuable experience!

Review: The island is pretty and the sea is beautiful, but snorkeling with dolphins is something aberrant. Dozens and dozens of boats chase these poor animals, all close together. When the dolphins approach, they even tell you to jump into the water, which is absolutely dangerous given the amount of boats present. It is an experience to avoid: the animals are clearly stressed and the situation is dangerous for anyone who wants to swim.