Inhaca Island, Maputo
Just across the bay from the port of Maputo is Inhaca Island, an attractive holiday destination for anyone who wants to savour the laid-back rhythms of a small, semitropical, Indian Ocean island. On the fringe of the tropics, it has a wealth of breathtaking beaches, coral reefs and exotic marine life on offer.
Inhaca Island is a small-inhabited island, lying just 37 km off the Mozambican capital of Maputo and positioned at the entrance to Delagoa Bay. It has much to recommend it: it is easily accessible by boat or ferry from the capital of Mozambique, Maputo; it has a wealth of breathtaking beaches and it offers some of the best scuba diving and big-game fishing in the world.
The island also features large areas of unspoiled evergreen forest and bush land. Large areas of its land and shores have been protected as natural reserve since 1976, providing a unique and pristine environment, which can be enjoyed by taking one of the excellent two- to three-day hiking trails that are available for the avid walker.
All told, Inhaca has some 100 km of coastline, much of it having some of the best coral reefs in the Mozambique Channel. Snorkeling conditions in the inshore bay areas are excellent for novices and, while visibility may not be as good as it is on the offshore reefs, marine life is plentiful.
The diving Inhaca has on offer is world class. The fish life is virtually untouched and the reefs are unspoiled. The best time to dive here is when the water level is at its highest; you can then catch the tide on its ebb and drift a kilometre or more along the reef. Spearfishing is permitted on the offshore reefs, but is prohibited in the immediate vicinity of Inhaca.
A fascinating experience for scuba divers is exploring the many shipwrecks in the area. Shark diving is also possible. Staghorn and plate coral, moray eel potato bass, large school of barracuda and kingfish are in abundance. Dolphins, whale sharks and manta rays are not uncommon during the summer months. The maximum diving depth is 30m with an average depth of approximately 18m. The average water temperature is 22-27 C and water visibility is between 10 – 30m.
Deep-sea fishermen will find themselves well catered for on Inhaca. Catches in the vicinity of Inhaca are often outstanding, with the island holding the several world records for various game fish and shark. Game fish in the area include marlin, sailfish, tuna, dorado, kingfish and barracuda.