Diving in Mozambique/Pao Reef

The dive site Pao Reef is an inshore tropical rocky reef with some coral in the Guinjata Bay area, near Inhambane in Southern Mozambique.

Understand

This is the local reef for Guinjata Bay resorts.

Position

Depth

Maximum depth is about 21m. and the top of the reef is about (depth)m. Average depth is likely to be about 15m.

Visibility

Visibility can exceed 20m

Topography

Rock table reef on sand bottom with irregular boulders and outcrops around edges. Outlying boulders and ridge offshore.

Table reef with

Conditions

Water temperature may be about 25°C

Get in

The dive site is always accessed by boat.

The site is about (distance)km from Guinjata Bay beach launch site.

See

Marine life

Wide variety of fish and reef invertebrates: Anemone fish, Two bar clownfish , Devil firefish, Emperor angelfish, Scorpionfish, Balloon porcupinefish, Longnose butterfly fish, Whitespotted butterfly fish, bluestreak cleaner wrasse, Spotted hawkfish, Dominoes, Yellowback fusilier, Spotted hogfish, Five lined cardinal fish, Paperfish, Honeycomb moray, Cave bass, Moorish Idols, Blue tangs, dark surgeonfish. Toby, Blacktip kingfish. Cushion stars and other stars, sea cucumbers, nudibranchs, shrimps, lobster, Thistle soft coral, Egg cowrie, yellow bowl sponge, Trumpet fish, zigzag oyster, Fleshy soft coral, giant anemone, Various sponges, Tube anemone with light blue tentacles, Greentree coral, Black feather stars, orange encrusting sponge, small purple, yellow and black colonial squirts, honeycomb coral, Small brown and yellow crabs, Warty off-white cucumber, brown star,

Photography

The topography is not very exciting, macro and close-up photography are likely to give good results.

Routes

Follow the Divemaster who should know the places to go.

Stay safe

Hazards

No site specific hazards, There are scorpionfish and stonefish and fire coral in the region.

Skills

No special skills required. This site is often where visitors will be taken for a checkout dive to make sure they have adequate buoyancy control before taking them to more sensitive reefs.

Equipment

No special equipment required

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