Africa/Indian Ocean in July

[Daniel1]

Hello!

My partner and I are relatively new to diving. We went on our first ever dive in the great barrier reef last month, and we kind of 'got the bug', so we will be getting our certifications this coming NY in north Colombia.

Next summer, we are going to a couple places in Africa to see the big 5 and gorillas, we are hoping to combine this with some beach/diving time. I am, however, finding it very tricky to piece this together. July is the best time for the land animals, but it seems that in the region, this isn't the greatest time for diving! We'd love to see whale sharks, and as much as possible really, since we are quite new to it all. But wanting some beach time as well means that it is trickier to find somewhere both dry and with good diving, and the fact we are a same-sex couple adds in an extra layer as we don't particularly fancy the likes of Zanzibar for example as we are so illegal there, haha. I am not a strong swimmer and we're new to diving so it can't be the advanced type of locations.

I've looked into the following...

Maldives - looks like a good bet for manta and whale sharks, but it might be a very wet holiday so not really any beach time.
Seychelles - dry weather so seems perfect for the beach side of things. The diving isn't as good because it's a bit murkier, but some sites say it's a great time to see mantas and whale sharks (others say only Oct onwards though), and some sites say you can dive year-round. So maybe still good?
Bazaruto, Mozambique - weather seems pretty good, but read mixed reviews on the diving - some say it's not great in July, others say June-August is in fact the best time! Again, some say you can see whale sharks in July, others say no! Humpbacks seem possible then too apparently, which would be cool. Maybe Quirimbas is better? It's further north so I guess it'll be hotter (which is a big plus), but I don't know how the diving compares. Though some say Tofo is the best for whale sharks at that time of year, so I am really not sure which would be best.

I've kind of excluded South Africa (too cold for the beach side of things), and Kenya/Tanzania (we're very illegal there), but still open to ideas.

Any thoughts and suggestions? Thank you very much for the help!

 

[Wingy]

While you and your partner are technically "illegal" in Madagascar check out Nosy Be island in the north opposite Moz. July is said to be best season for diving - I dived there in February which is supposedly absolutely no go (most of the dive shops and hotels go on 'holiday' and are closed) may - July is whale and whale shark season and all the hotels are open.

I stayed the first week down in Amboatalaka at Eden Residence run by a same gender couple so you won't have any dramas. I spent another week at Anjiamarango in Bafoataka Bay who are awesome but very family friendly (If you do decide on a closer look I can ask "that" question as I'm in contact with the owner)

Diving companies to check out (if you have FB look at Nosy Sakatia and Menabe Plongee do a short LOB to the Mitsio Archipelago around that time of year) also Nosy Be Plongee but I can provide info of who not to dive with unless your French is perfect and you don't value your life that much via PM - purpose of my response is not to do a hatchet job!.

I enjoyed the tiny bit of diving I did get in and will return for more. If you're heading out to see the big 5 it's a short flight from Kenya to go and see the amazing ones - your life will he forever changed after meeting lemurs Madagascar is quite awesome.

You may also have a think about Reunion Island although tbh I found the dive pretty surgey and bland but again, time of year played against me - Mauritius may be an option.

 

[FairyBasset]

Ive dived in Tofo (in Dec) and thought it was a beautiful place to stay. The boat rides can be challenging though with lots of surge. But I would highly recommend it as a good beach / dive place to go. We saw no mantas there, where there used to be so many. They do have whale sharks, we didn't see any on dives, apparently snorkel tours saw them. Bazaruto diving not supposed to be great, but location is amazing.

Maldives will be so hot it will be hard to lie in the sun. Also can be challenging diving in the currents. But if you only do house reefs may be not so bad.

I have friends who love Seychelles diving, so I'm sure its not all murky. I would suggest you check out the websites of some of the companies there for the underwater photos.

I would recommend you to pick where you want to go for your beach holiday and then just go with the flow diving and simply enjoy each dive for what it is underwater. Every dive is better than a day in the office and you never know what you will get. Some dives Ive done in less than fabulous conditions were among the most memorable dives ever, as the ocean threw out some surprises.

 

[champacs]

Just to add to previous comments, do contemplate Reunion Island. As Wingy says the diving is not up to Maldives standard (or Nosy Be during whale shark season, which is late October to early December), but as an island that belongs to France (like Hawaii is part of the USA) it's probably the most tolerant place in the Indian Ocean as regards same sex couples (see e.g. Reunion, a gay-friendly stop in the Indian Ocean.). There's also lots of non-diving activities to do: hiking, paragliding, stand-up paddle, canyoning, lave tube exploring, etc.

 

[Russoft]

Bazaruto, Mozambique - weather seems pretty good, but read mixed reviews on the diving - some say it's not great in July, others say June-August is in fact the best time! Again, some say you can see whale sharks in July, others say no! Humpbacks seem possible then too apparently, which would be cool. Maybe Quirimbas is better? It's further north so I guess it'll be hotter (which is a big plus), but I don't know how the diving compares. Though some say Tofo is the best for whale sharks at that time of year, so I am really not sure which would be best.

I grew up in Mozambique and have dived near Tofo a lot, but usually in the summer (December to April). Summer can be unbearably hot and you are at high risk of contracting Malaria during summer months due to increased insect activity. It'll be very rainy. That said, I can almost guarantee that yes you'll see humpbacks and yes you'll see a whale shark. The dive outfit we dived with down there states that you can see these animals year round, but September to February is the best time. During winter months (May to November) it'll be colder and there will be very few insects, but I don't know what you'll see. The reefs are stunning. Despite much fishing an harvesting off the reefs by locals, it's some of the best snorkeling and diving I've done. Beautiful coral reefs. We frequent Paindane (a little south of Tofo), though there are now many resorts in that area. If you go, maybe go during the "Spring" or "Fall" months.

 

[Wingy]

Very true Champacs - sorry if I sold Reunion short - truly one of the most beautiful places on earth. I had Reunion on my destination list after asking people on Bora Bora where they dreamed of going seeing BB is often sold as 'paradise' - they all said La Reunion.

I'd recommend coughing up for a helicopter tour, it's worth every euro.