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Nuarro Lodge, in Nanatha Bay, has one of the most beautiful house reefs in Mozambique. This magnificent natural site allows you to explore seagrass beds and coral areas teeming with underwater life, just a few steps from the beach. Angelfish, clownfish, sweetlips and starfish are easy to see here, among dozens of other colorful species.

Goldtail angelfish at Nanatha Bay
The goldtail angelfish is one of the most common angelfish species found in Nanatha Bay.

How to go snorkeling at Nanatha Bay

Nanatha Bay is located on the Pinda Peninsula, in the Memba district, in northern Mozambique. This spot is accessible from shore but is very remote. It’s hard to get there if you don’t stay at the Nuarro Lodge, which is located in the bay.

Nuarro Lodge will organize your taxi transfers, mainly from Nampula Airport (around 4h30 drive) or from Nacala Airport (around 2h30).

Nuarro Lodge snorkeling map, Nanatha Bay

Water entrance for snorkeling Nanatha Bay

We advise you to enter the water from the beach, in front of Nuarro Lodge beach bar.

Nanatha Bay snorkeling exploration tips

Nanatha Bay is a marine reserve since 2007 and boasts a 1 mile-long powdery white sand beach and several coves. The beach is edged by a coral reef which is home to a great diversity of fish.

Starting from the beach, you’ll first swim above 100 to 200m-wide seagrass beds, depending on the location, to reach the reef area. Reefs are found all along the beach, and slopes quite gently.

Red-knobbed starfish at Nuarro Lodge
The red-knobbed starfish is pretty easy to see in the bay’s shallow flats.

On the shallow reef areas (max. 6ft/2m deep), you’ll spot many fish species commonly found on the coral reefs of the region. Pufferfish, butterflyfish, parrotfish, sweetlips, and sergeants majors are particularly common.

Several species of angelfish, including the semicircle angelfish, regal angelfish, and goldtail angelfish, easy to spot in most areas. Look for sea anemones, which often hosts the twobar anemonefish, a clownfish species that only lives in the southwestern Indian Ocean. Some lionfish are also hiding here and there on the reef.

Blackspotted rubberlip
The blackspotted rubberlip (here, intermediate phase) is one of the most beautiful fish that can be seen at this spot.

The red-knobbed starfish is a common sighting in the shallow seagrass beds. This beautiful sea star can reach a size of 30cm.

Restaurants and accommodation nearby

This spot is the house reef of Nuarro Lodge, which offers beachfront chalets, cottages, and rooms.

 

  • Level required Beginner
  • Protected areaNuarro Marine Reserve
  • Maximum depth6ft/2m on the reef, 20ft/6m on the drop off
  • Water entranceFrom a sandy beach
  • LifeguardNo
  • Visitor numbersLow
  • Access costsCoût du séjour au Nuarro Lodge
  • Restaurants nearbyYes, in the lodge

MAP Spot

These snorkeling spots are accessible to beginners and kids. You will enter the water gradually from a beach, or in a less than 3ft. deep area. The sea is generally calm, shallow, with almost no waves or currents. These spots are usually located in marked and/or monitored swimming areas. It is not necessary to swim long distances to discover the sea life.

This level only apply when the spot experiences optimal sea and/or weather conditions. It is not applicable if the sea and/or weather conditions deteriorate, in particular in the presence of rough sea, rain, strong wind, unusual current, large tides, waves and/or swell. You can find more details about the definition of our snorkeling levels on our snorkeling safety page.