Dolphins at Kizimkazi

Resident bottlenose and humpback dolphins — and a real problem with how they're watched. Indo-Pacific bottlenose and Indian Ocean humpback dolphins live year-round in the Menai Bay Conservation Area off Kizimkazi, and small boats leave the beach at dawn to find them. We have to be honest: research off Kizimkazi has found that tourist boats cut into the dolphins' resting, feeding and socialising, and recent reviews describe twenty or thirty boats chasing a handful of dolphins. Guidelines exist but are weakly enforced, and we couldn't verify any operator as consistently not chasing, so we don't recommend one. How to book: If you go, choose a small operator and ask before you pay how close they approach, whether they chase or surround a pod, and how many boats will be there. Agree the price in advance. Kizimkazi is about 1–1½ hours from Stone Town or 45 minutes from Paje.