Article appeared in the Jan/Feb 2011 edition of Submerge magazine

MUCKING IT IN MOZAMBIQUE

Is it possible to rate Mozambique’s hundreds of dive sites and figure out which of those is the best? It’s a tough question. Mozambique has a very beautiful and very long, palm-lined coastline, most of it is endless miles of sun-kissed beach sand, with the occasional archipelago offshore. Beneath the turquoise veneer that fringes the country are some of the best coral reefs on the planet and as for its marine megafauna – giant Mantas, Whale Sharks, game fish, sharks, rays and whales - well there is no beating Mozambique. But to attempt to separate the best from the best in a place renowned for its scuba diving is nigh impossible. Well, nigh but not totally impossible because I believe I have found that dive spot, the best dive in Mozambique is in the Pomene Estuary.

Generally when I think of an estuary I immediately think of a filthy river mouth choked with thousands of tons of that reddish African soil laden with all sorts of debris from the hinterland, not a place to ever consider scuba diving, not ever. Mozambique has a few of these diabolically muddy river mouths - the Limpopo, Zambezi and Rovuma immediately spring to mind. Yet the country is also blessed with that other kind of estuary, the natural, pristine sort, unsullied by human-induced soil erosion and fed by smaller rivers whose flow is impeded by coastal dunes and the water filters through the white sandy bed among virgin Mangrove swamps. The water in these estuaries is also constantly replaced by great tidal surges bringing in fresh mineral-rich salty water twice a day. The waters in these estuaries are clear and full of life. Pomene is such a place. It has a short, broad estuary that flows through an extensive swamp of a variety of species of Mangroves before terminating at its mouth between the Casuarina and palm-clad dunes. Geographically, Pomene is situated in an isolated sandy coastal plain between Inhambane and the Bazaruto archipelago in southern-central Mozambique. Much of the estuary runs north, parallel to the sea and is prevented from flowing directly out by a long spit of beach where it eventually breaks out through a wide gap immediately clashing with the incoming surf that forces its way in at high tide through a series of channels to where the web of mangrove roots finally slow the flow.

Here on the sandy spit built on wooden stilts within the estuary’s inter-tidal zone is Pomene Lodge, a rustic place accessed only by a single set of deep tracks that wind haphazardly from the interior fifty miles from any form of civilization. It has long been the secret haunt of fishermen who come to either fly-fish in the estuary for running juvenile gamefish or trawl the oceans in search of their significantly larger relatives like Giant Trevally, Dorado and Marlin. The lodge, perched on the end of the narrow spit is surrounded on all sides by water and is ventilated by sweet tropical breezes that sigh softly through the Casuarinas at night. With the estuary to its west, the lodge is one of the few places in Mozambique where one can sit back on a wooden deck with feet up, drink in hand and enjoy a true African sunset over the water. And, if the timing is right, swivel 180˚ to the east and watch a full moon rising over the Indian Ocean at the same time.

Naturally a dive centre has been set up here, divers have long ago figured out that if the fishing is good then the diving would be good too. Pomene, as with most of Mozambique’s dive spots, boasts exceptional offshore diving. Boat launches begin on the estuary-side of the spit where the water is placid, then there is a thrilling charge through the surf at the mouth before cruising out into the ocean and eventually descending onto great blocks of coral that are home to any number of Mozambique’s favourites. There are a multicolour of eels from the Giant and Honeycombs Morays to the tiny Ribbon and Dragon Eels. Among the maze of underwater coral arches, caves and overhangs there lurk insanely large Firefish with quills spread like porcupines menacingly looking to ambush unsuspecting small fry. Looking up and around, Mantas and Whale Sharks are often seen gliding past in the blue mid-water, also the domain of great swirling shoals of Barracuda and Big-eye Trevally. Visibility is generally excellent and sea temps are silky warm and vary little throughout the year. Based solely on its ocean dives, Pomene is a spectacular dive location one worthy of top accolades, but by Mozambican standards it is essentially no better than anywhere else along the coast.

What sets Pomene apart from all others is the little stuff. The stuff found in the muddy shallows of the estuary. This is muck diving at its very best, certainly equal to those famed muck dives in Indonesia and Malaysia. Here at slack, high tide the estuary is awash with incoming clear seawater that breathes renewed life into the ecologically important sea-grass beds in the deeper channels. Scuba divers wade in from the white beach and descend to a depth of little more than a few metres. The clarity and light at this point is at its zenith as divers come mask to face with a bevy of rare little critters. On a single dive, I came upon two species of sea horses, their tails curled tightly around the blades of sea-grass. Sea horses are generally rare elsewhere in Mozambique but here they seem to be thriving. In the upper stratum of the grass, in perfect sync with the gently swaying beds, are small schools of Razorfish, inverted upside down, a perfect dupe for predators. Just off the bank of grass, among the debris of dead coral, rotting Mangrove leaves and driftwood are many colours and textures of Frogfish, equally camouflaged but no less striking in colour. Thanks to the depth and temperature of the waters one can remain submersed on this dive for two hours or more exploring every nook and cranny of the estuarine environment. The sheer volume of salt water entering each day allows the estuary to become the ideal sanctuary for juvenile fish of all sorts from sharks to pufferfish that look like miniature spotted ping-pong balls caught in an updraft as they bounce and waver among the protective strands of grass. Firefish too, the offspring of those large bullies I had seen earlier on the ocean dive, pink and so small that a single specimen can fit happily in the discarded split mussel shell, its protective home until it grows bigger and meaner.

Pomene’s resident dive guru, Neville Ayliff, is an expert on reef ecology having spent years educating divers on fish identification and conservation. He is a tailor-made guide for this sort of dive, not only for his bottomless well of ichthyologic information, but he can reveal creatures so hidden that you would think weren’t possible to discern with the naked eye. There are colourful and strange Dragonets with large, splayed pectorals, strange nudibranchs I did not know existed and a red octopus no bigger than the fingernail of my pinkie. Crocodilefish are numerous but concealed, lying patiently in the sand awaiting a buried flounder to make that one false move beneath the coarse granules. There are minute anemone shrimps including one that looks like a Bumble-bee. Crabs, juvenile morays, sea-hares and Filefish don’t even begin to complete Pomene’s entourage. The estuary has seasonal highlights too, each year in February cuttlefish congregate in numbers to breed throwing caution to the current in a hedonistic month of pairing themselves off with each other. Sometimes the whole estuary is swarming with these amorous cephalopods. The cuttlefish also attract the unwanted attention of oceanic creatures that venture into the estuary at high tide to make full use of the bounty. Dolphins, sharks and other predatory fish can be seen moving about feasting on the season’s pickings. As a photographer, marine biologist or regular bubble-blower one would easily be satisfied to spend an entire month just exploring the muck of Pomene without ever having to go out to sea. Neville is also particular about conserving this environment from the ravages of human exploitation that potentially threaten the estuary. Local fishermen are impartial about what they collect and there is a drive to educate them on the intricacies of estuarine ecology. Furthermore, with more scuba divers there will be greater public awareness that Pomene is a delicate yet vital natural resource to Mozambique’s burgeoning tourist industry.

In my opinion this estuary dive on its own is enough to secure Pomene the honour as Mozambique’s best dive spot. There are but a few places in Africa that can display such a rich and varied estuarine environment. Now add this dive to the usual crowd of Mozambique’s oceanic megafauna and coral diversity on the other side of the sand-spit and there is simply no question that Pomene is Mozambique’s number one dive destination. All Pomene needs now is a Dugong or two thrown into the mix and it would be a serious challenger for the world’s best dive.

[back to Pomene Dive page]