Whale Shark Monitoring on Mafia Island

Mafia Island is only a short hop from Dar Es Salaam, so enjoy a leisurely morning before heading back to the airport to catch your 30-minute flight. Once you land, a driver will collect and transfer you to your lodge, which sits inside the marine park and is surrounded by verdant vegetation. Situated just metres from the sea, a refreshing ocean breeze will cool you as you relax on the patio of your room or walk the trails of the property.

Over the next four days, you'll head out for two dives a day (more if you'd like) at some of the most stunning sites in the Indian Ocean. With over 460 species of fish and 50 types of corals, ranging from giant table corals and sea fans to blue-tipped staghorn corals, you'll be surrounded by aquarium-like scenes and an abundance of sea life.

Get ready for the experience of a lifetime! You'd be hard-pressed to find an experience more surreal than floating along next to the biggest (and friendliest) sharks in the world. Before the tour, you'll be briefed on how to behave with the whale sharks in the water so as not to distress them, while still maintaining the perfect proximity for capturing overhead photos of them. You'll be tasked with taking these shots so as to collect crucial data and compile a visual record of the various individuals in the area. Whale sharks can be differentiated by their spot patterns, as each one is unique, like a fingerprint.

Spend the next two days at leisure, either relaxing at your resort or exploring the surface-side beauty of the surrounding area. Perhaps set out to nearby Chole Island, where you'll discover ruins overtaken by nature, as well as Arabic and Germanic influences dating back to the 12th century. A stroll across the island will take you through local villages and varied vegetation (including baobab trees), where Flying Foxes (fruit bats) hang lazily in the canopy. You'll also get the chance to see where the traditional Swahili dhows are hand-crafted. For a more nautical day, depart on the boat to Marimbani Sandbank, which surrounds one of the archipelago's most stunning reefs - Kitutia Reef. Keep your eyes peeled for dolphins playing in the surf along the way and dip into the water with your snorkel gear to swim alongside massive rays, turtles and reef fish. At the sandbank, do some more snorkelling, explore the intertidal flats or simply relax on the sand and enjoy a beach barbeque, before heading home for a sundowner and a good night's sleep.

All too quickly, your holiday has come to an end. After a relaxed morning, you'll be transferred to Mafia Island Airport for your 30-minute flight back to Dar Es Salaam. Here you'll have a short layover before boarding your flight home, again via Amsterdam.