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MOZAMBIQUE The two other baleen whales regularly seen in the waters of Mozambique are the minke whale and the humpback whale. The 30-foot (10 meter) long minke whale can be found solitary or in small groups in inshore waters feeding on small, schooling fish. Their distribution is worldwide, with between 600,000 to 1.3 million individuals. Humpback whales can grow up to 60 feet (18 meters) in length and can be found in open Mozambican waters between October and December. With possibly only 20,000 humpback whale left, their status is vulnerable.
Mozambique has endured, despite the brutal civil war and the dramatic floods which ravaged this poor country. After almost a decade of peace and international effort to restore the flood ravaged country Mozambique is returning to its rightful place as one of the jewels of Africa. Mozambique’s capital
Maputo boasts interesting colonial architecture and is the best place to enjoy Mozambique’s famous LM prawns!
No African country has more Indian Ocean coastline than Mozambique, whose 2 600 kilometre stretch from Tanzania to South Africa is spotted by several fishing villages, metropolitan Maputo to the south and the port of Beira half-way down and the Mozambican coastline is perhaps the most unspoiled and attractive beachfront to be found in Africa.
The effects of the war are apparent on the tourism infrastructure. Two-thirds of Mozambique Island, off the coast of Nampula Province, was declared a "World Heritage Site" by the United Nation's education and culture agency UNESCO in 1992, largely because of the main village's unique style of domestic architecture, which is built out of technicolor- bright coral reef. But many of the homes have deteriorated
in recent years due to neglect, as owners were forced to leave the island
during the war and post-war hard times to seek employment at mainland
agriculture plantations. "Tourism will restore the houses," says
Simeo Ratilal, a resident and fisherman. A symbiotic relationship will
develop, islanders believe, as tourists drawn to the unique houses will
enrich the local economy, enabling the homeowners to fix their properties
and thus draw more visitors. Ratilal's catch, by the way, will be another tourism lure: each sunset when he draws in his fishing nets, he encircles a huge bonfire he sets ablaze on the beach with three rings of silvery mackerel and other fish he has caught that day: hundreds of his and other fishermen's catches that are then dried for later transport to the mainland. Tourists visiting the island are the only ones, other than the locals, who can sample the fish fresh from the sea. For most of its existence, Pemba has been a sleepy backwater, because traders preferred to do business out on the coastal islands. With little industry, there has been little pollution, and the water lapping the town's beaches is as clear and blue as tropical water can be, set against swaying palm trees that grow out of a bed of perennially blazing red and orange bougainvillea bushes.
The best surfing along the coast is said to be at Praia de Maceneta at Maputo province, while some of the best coral reefs in the country can be found in Gaza province by the ruins of a once classic hotel at Praia do Chongoene. Coral reefs to be viewed by snorklers, scuba divers and by glass-bottom boats may prove the main attraction for Mozambique's coast. We need to be mindful of the precious and fabulous coral reefs, as alarmingly, 59 percent of those in the Indian Ocean have been permanently destroyed, most recently due to bleaching that has resulted from global warming, according to the global Coral Reef Monitoring Network. 24 percent of the world's coral reefs are located in the Indian Ocean. In the heart of Mozambique along its jagged coastline, is place where an endless amount of time can be spent lying peacefully on sandy white beaches staring over emerald water at tropical islands dolphins and whales. The place is known as Vilanculos, it's located around 700km's North of Maputo and its Mozambique's best kept secret for travellers wishing to venture into paradise. Unlike other destinations, Vilanculos is accessible by all vehicles (you don't need a 4x4) and it has its own airport, operating direct flights to South Africa on a daily basis. Its also possible to fly directly from Maputo. |
There are many dolphins and a variety of toothed - or smaller whales - in the waters of Mozambique and in Bazaruto Archipelago and Quirimbas National Parks. These may include the short-finned
pilot whale, the playful and inquisitive
Sunny skies, endless beaches and clear waters teeming with marine life make Mozambique the perfect beach holiday destination. Experience the magic of Mozambique on an island holiday on one of the many jewel-like islands, or combine a sojourn in Mozambique with your South
African whale-watching safari.
The best thing about it is that most of Mozambique's coast is still undeveloped. Ecotourists and cultural tourists, an adventurous sub- group of travellers, appreciate seafront environments as yet undefiled by mass development.
All, but three, of Mozambique's 10 provinces are on the ocean. Cabo Delgado has magnificent white sands while Praia das Chocas, is where people from the inland go to frolic. The only access to Zambezia province's Praia de Zalala is via a 45-kilometre road from the town Quelimane. But the stretch of talcum-fine white sand shaded by leafy casuarinas trees makes the drive worthwhile. Sofala's beaches are extensive, undeveloped and largely unnamed.
In contrast, Inhambane province has a dozen well-known beaches where private and public resorts are located, especially around Baia dos Cocos (Coconut Bay).