• The Blue Lagoon at dusk: still green water ringed by mangroves under a pink sky, seen through the branches, Mafia Island
    Blue Lagoon

The Blue Lagoon and the Jellyfish Pond

The Blue Lagoon at dusk: still green water ringed by mangroves under a pink sky, seen through the branches, Mafia Island

At high tide, a boat ride through a spectacular mangrove channel brings you to the Blue Lagoon and the jellyfish pond, home to stingless “upside-down” jellyfish.

Through the mangroves to the jellyfish pond

The lagoon can only be reached at high tide, when the boat can pass through the mangrove channel. The mangroves along the way are nurseries for fish and other marine animals, filter and clean the seawater, and protect the shore from erosion, which keeps the lagoon’s waters so rich in life. Our boat anchors in the sheltered bay beside the lagoon and waits for you while you take the short walk to the lagoon. During neap tides, the smaller tides of the month when the water rises and falls least, you can also enjoy the sandbank beside the lagoon.

Paddle back, or add the Kua ruins

On the way back, you can sail slowly home and stop to snorkel around the mangroves. For something more active, take paddle boards or kayaks: our boat drops you off and you paddle back through the mangroves. Or combine the lagoon with a visit to the Kua ruins on Juani Island. Our managers plan the next day’s activities with you each evening.

See prices for this and all our activities (PDF)

Aerial view of a sandy mangrove channel winding towards the open sea, on the way to the Blue Lagoon, Mafia Island Two paddle boarders and a wooden dhow on clear, turquoise water in a sheltered bay with a white sand beach and mangroves Traditional dhow and its crew wait in the clear turquoise water of the bay near the Blue Lagoon, Mafia Island, Tanzania The Blue Lagoon: still turquoise water ringed by mangroves and coral rock, seen from under the trees on the shore

Details

Duration: About 2 hours

Start Location: Chole Mjini

Departure Times: High tide only

Highlights

  • A boat ride through a mangrove channel
  • A pond of stingless “upside-down” jellyfish
  • A sandbank beside the lagoon at neap tides
  • Paddle back through the mangroves by board or kayak
  • Combine with the Kua ruins