Zanzibar Dolphin Tour - Full Day Excursion

The Activities - the Zanzibar Dolphin Tour

The Kizimkazi Dolphins Hot Spot

Situated on the southern point of the island, Kizimkazi fishing village is home to several schools of the bottle-nosed dolphin and Humpback dolphin, which are sighted following a short boat trip from the village.

Zanzibar dolphin tour photo: A bottle-nose dolphin at Kizimkazi (south of Zanzibar).

Bottle-nose dolphins, the genus Tursiops, are the most common and well-known members of the family Delphinidae, the family of oceanic dolphins. Recent molecular studies show the genus contains two species, the common bottle-nose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) and the Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops aduncus), instead of one. They inhabit warm and temperate seas worldwide.

Bottle-nose dolphins live in groups typically of 10–30 members, called pods, but group size varies from single individuals up to more than 1,000. Their diet consists mainly of forage fish. Zanzibar dolphins often work as a team to harvest fish schools, but they also hunt individually. Dolphins search for prey primarily using echolocation, which is similar to sonar. They emit clicking sounds and listen for the return echo to determine the location and shape of nearby items, including potential prey. Bottle-nose dolphins also use sound for communication, including squeaks and whistles emitted from the blowhole and sounds emitted through body language, such as leaping from the water and slapping their tails on the water surface.

They are grey, varying from dark grey at the top near the dorsal fin to very light grey and almost white at the underside. This counter-shading makes it hard to see, both from above and below, when swimming. Adults range in length between 2 and 4 metres (6.6 and 13 ft), and in weight between 150 and 650 kilograms (330 and 1,400 lb). Males are on average slightly longer and considerably heavier than females.

The Oldest Mosque in East Africa

The dolphin tour spot at Kizimkazi is also the site of a 12th century mosque, the earliest evidence of Islam in Zanzibar and East Africa, and is thus worth a visit for both natural and cultural reasons. The tour includes transport from either Stone Town or Hotel on the East or North Coast, guide, boat, snorkeling equipment and lunch.

The Kizimkazi Mosque is one of the oldest Islamic buildings on the East African coast. Despite its name, it is located in Dimbani, not Kizimkazi, which is three miles away (this is because the official names of these two joined villages are Kizimkazi Dimbani and Kizimkazi Mtendeni). This is a must-see site that we just had to add to the dolphin tour. According to a preserved kufic inscription, it was built in 1107 by settlers from Shiraz. Although the inscription and certain coral-carved decorative elements date from the period of construction, the majority of the present structure was rebuilt in the 18th century.

Zanzibar Dolphin Tour Rates

Standard Option from

USD 45 p.p.

in a Group of 6 or more. Price increases as the # of people lowers!

This Price Includes

• Excursion fee
• Return transport from Stone Town
• Lunch
• Snorkeling gear

Budget Option from

USD 35 p.p.

sharing with a different group.

This Price Includes

• Excursion fee
• Return transport from Stone Town
• Lunch
• Snorkeling gear