Sports Fishing in Tanzania
Tanzania, with its 950,000 or so square kilometres of land area consisting of beautiful tropical rain forests, mountain ranges and Africa’s tallest mountain, deserts, savannah grasslands, bush and 1,000 kilometres or so of coastline, is arguably the most naturally endowed country in East Africa. Yes, over 30% of its land mass is set aside as wildlife sanctuaries and conservation, but what we are really here for are its rich tropical waters teeming with large game fish that make this country a sport fishing paradise.
Multiple archipelagos dot the coastline that is rich in culture and the reason why it is dubbed as the centre of the Swahili Coast. With Latham Island being the home of the country’s richest fishing grounds and multiple Dogtooth Tuna IGFA world record catches, Tanzania offers world class fishing and accommodation options for beginner and pro fishers alike.
Zanzibar
Is one of the most famous archipelagos in the world. Made up of the two main islands of Pemba and Unguja – the latter better known as Zanzibar – it evokes feelings of mystery, adventure and pristine nature. Zanzibar is a destination for those who want a cultural and beach holiday with family and friends while taking time to do some world-class fishing.
Places of Interest
Latham Island
Latham Island is locally known as “Fungu Kizimkazi” or “Fungu Baraka,”. Part of the Zanzibar Archipelago, Latham is a flat coral island located some 40 nautical miles south east of Zanzibar Island. Latham is a 10 nautical mile by 4 nautical mile reef rising from approximately 500 m of water and coming up to form a sand island at it’s centre. The island is only inhabited by birds, whose nesting sites make up for a highly recommended visit to the island.
From September through March every year, Latham Island is THE top location in the world for hunting Giant Dogtooth Tuna. These fish aggregate there, during which large schools, sometimes numbering up to 30 to 50 fish at a time, average between 30 kgs to 150 kgs in weight.
Location of multiple IGFA world record Dogtooth Tuna catches in multiple line classes, over the years Latham Island has consistently produced big Dogtooth Tuna, many in the 60 kg – 90 kg size class. Furthermore, Latham Island sees a huge aggregation of Yellowfin Tuna and Wahoo occur there between August and November every year. It is also an excellent location to fish for large Giant Trevally, Sailfish, Snappers, Green Jobfish and Emperors.
Day trips to Latham Island from Zanzibar are possible on one of our beautiful fishing boats, but Latham is best experienced on a live aboard trip on board a luxury sailing catamaran that is accompanied by one of our dedicated sport fishing boats and run for a minimum of 4 nights and up to 10 nights. You eat, rest, and sleep on the yacht, and you fish from our sport fishing boat.
Please Contact Us for more information on sport fishing at legendary Latham Island.
Pemba Island
Pemba Island is well known in the scuba diving world for having some of the cleanest waters and dramatic drop-offs in the world. There are but a handful of resorts on the island developed for tourism, so the local population continues to coexist with the natural environment they live in, practising fishing and subsistence farming.
The island is mostly covered in lush vegetation and rain forest, and it’s shorelines are dotted with little coves and inlets that teem with baitfish, making them perfect settings for Dogtooth Tuna and other pelagics to hunt. On a normal day the visibility in the water off Pemba will be 40 m. On a bad day it will be 15 m. On an amazing day the visibility will be over 50 m. Large schools of Yellowfin Tuna feed off the island’s southern and northern points due to the upwelling currents bringing nutrient rich waters to the island’s steep drop-offs. The best season for Wahoo and large Mahi Mahi is from July through October while Dogtooth Tuna are present year round but prevalent in larger numbers from October through March.
Please Contact Us for more information on sport fishing Pemba Island.
Mafia Island
Mafia Island is the third large island found off the coast of Tanzania. Lying approximately 80 nautical miles south of Unguja (Zanzibar) Island and some 40 nautical miles south of Latham Island, Mafia is the main island of a larger archipelago of islands that include some smaller islands to its south. Although Mafia has some tourist facilities, it remains for the most part undeveloped and remote when compared to the more famous Zanzibar Archipelago to its north.
Remote and off the beaten track is good for fishing and Mafia’s rugged eastern coastline, devoid of the beaches that draw masses of tourists to Zanzibar, is a fisherman’s dream fishing ground.
Steeply rising reef slopes rise to but a few metres from the sea surface and create optimal fishing grounds to throw poppers for large Giant Trevally that hunt in the shallows. Jigging off the deeper drop-offs yields large Dogtooth Tuna and in the right season the waters off Mafia teem with Yellowfin Tuna and other pelagic fish. There are a handful of good accommodation options to stay at when aiming to stay on land, but the best way to experience the Mafia Archipelago is on a live aboard fishing trip. Either way, when looking to get away from the main tourist circuit, like with Pemba Island to the north, Mafia Island is an excellent sport fishing destination to head for especially when searching for big Giant Trevally.
Please Contact Us for more information on sport fishing Mafia Island.
Kilwa Archipelago
Kilwa is a little known archipelago rich in folklore and history located in southern Tanzania. It was settled by the Shirazi Arabs in the 9th Century AD and soon after became the most important trading centre in East Africa for natural resources and slaves. A city was built on the island of Kilwa Kisiwani and it minted its own coin. Vasco de Gama and anyone else who was someone in the time of the great explorers came through Kilwa and found a well organised rich trading city. Kilwa’s influence eventually waned as Zanzibar started to thrive and all that is left now are the ruins of the great palace as well as the large prison and other scattered buildings that have been long forgotten in time. Still, Kilwa remains an important archeological and historical site and justifiably is recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Lying way off the main tourist circuit, Kilwa’s coastline consists of stunningly beautiful deep water canyons lined by an impressive reef drop-off system that attracts large pelagic fish in the form of Giant Trevally, Wahoo, Yellowfin Tuna and Dogtooth Tuna. The shallow reef tops are excellent for popping for Giant Trevally while the steep slopes hold some large Dogtooth Tuna. Getting there is easy by light aircraft scheduled flights from Zanzibar and Dar es Salaam and basic accommodation is available in the form of mid range tourist lodges.
Please Contact Us for more information on a sport fishing trip to Kilwa.
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