Chasing after Zanzibar’s dolphins in the Indian Ocean

The luscious green vegetation on Miakuruchi Road was a vast contrast to the clear white sands which welcomed tourists to the Indian Ocean as accessed from Tanzania’s tourist island, Zanzibar. The sands bore footprints of many who had embarked on the same mission – to ‘chase’ after the dolphins of the ocean.Pre-warned two days earlier […]

The luscious green vegetation on Miakuruchi Road was a vast contrast to the clear white sands which welcomed tourists to the Indian Ocean as accessed from Tanzania’s tourist island, Zanzibar. The sands bore footprints of many who had embarked on the same mission – to ‘chase’ after the dolphins of the ocean.
Pre-warned two days earlier of the importance of getting up very early in order to depart her hotel by 6.00 am at the latest to begin the one hour 10 minutes’ drive to Kizimkazi, (the area of Zanzibar which leads to the dolphins’ habitation), excitement of the coming adventure almost deprived our reporter of two nights’ sleep.
One hour before her alarm went off at 5.30 am, our reporter was all geared up in anticipation of the trip rather than for church as is her tradition on every first Sunday of the year.
For any first timer, the tour guide makes sure not to tell too much about the coming experience. Getting a little, but pleasantly frustrated by the numerous questions and curiosity of the passengers aboard his vehicle, he was very relieved when the group came across a wedding party of women in bright orange veils singing and dancing as they escorted the prospective groom to the house of his wife to be.
Immediately, the distraction was to the coloured and uniformed attires of the women, as one of the all-Nigerian passengers said: “Oh! They do and co like us too?” Being a bus full of women, the conversation gradually gravitated into that and fashion trends while the driver subtly chuckled as he stole quick glances at them from his rear view mirror.
By the time the conversation ended the bus had arrived at the bank of the Indian Ocean and all immediately sprang into dolphin tour mode, hardly waiting for instructions on what they were to do during the tour.
The Kizimkazi community at about 8 am when our reporter arrived there was already wide awake and going about their businesses.
Petty traders and artefacts dealers had laid out their wares in front of their houses lining up the route leading to the bank of the ocean, as they called out to prospective clients while advertising beautifully crafted shells and jewellery from shells, corals and other materials they picked from the sea.
Obvious in this group were those handing out snorkels, masks and other diving kits which tourists grabbed and hurriedly went on to waiting boats.
Just as groups of fishermen working in teams and some alone, with already prepared nets and other gadgets prepared to go fishing, our reporter and her team climbed onto a waiting speedboat and set sail.
Also pre-warned that dolphin-spotting aren’t a hundred percent guaranteed and actually managing to swim with dolphins is a rare occurrence, our reporter and her friends were not deterred.
Speaking generally, the pilot teased that the tourists should hope that the dolphins have already had their breakfast otherwise “they won’t be in a good mood to display if they are hungry.” Like with other wild animals, spotting dolphins requires time and patience as they are not confined in a cage or a zoo, they are in their natural environment.  
Expectations were that the 15 to 20 minutes boat ride into the sea would be to a designated part of the Indian Ocean where the dolphins had been gathered and were being taken care of and trained to perform for tourists.
Nothing prepared the first timers for the teasing game and hot ‘chase’ the boatmen would be engaged in with the dolphins so that tourists could get their five-second thrills of catching intermittent glimpses of them.
Like the attitude of a lady who knows a man has the hots for her, she gives him an amber light and just when he makes a move in her direction she switches to red, the dolphins toiled with the emotions of the tourists.
With their expertise of taking several tourists on this mission, the guides who also doubled as pilots for the boats, knew the tell-tale signs of when the dolphins were about to come to the surface.
“Very often,” one of them said. “They don’t give any warnings before they come up. You just see them in the air and before you take a second blink they are back under the water.”
No sooner had he spoken when a dolphin came up, made a flip and dived back into the ocean with a big splash getting all close to it wet as the ladies screamed aloud the most in response to the surprise.
Often swimming up to 260 miles beneath the water surface, the dolphins came up to the surface from various angles scattered around the perimeter from where they are known to mostly come up from.
Slowly gliding just beneath the water causing bubbles and ripples with its breathing while being visible enough to get snapshots of  with zoomed camera lenses, one pilot pointed in its direction spontaneously causing all engines to be ignited and go speeding that way.
As if prepared for such a reaction, the dolphin swiftly went back under the water while some of the tourists dived in, only to surface seconds later behind the entire group of tourists. Another chase began in that direction as many struggled to balance themselves in their boats and at the same time take photos or jump into the water.
For the next one hour, the hide and seek, teasing and laughter went on until most tourists had had their fill and were ready to go back ashore.
It wasn’t an excitement for grownups alone. Children as young as six and seven who were visiting from Germany with the rest of their families, all kitted in snorkelling gears, were in and out of the water more times than anybody could count as they ensured their parents took photos of every chance they had with the animals.
Travel materials inform that, the most popular dolphin spotting location in Zanzibar is in Kizimkazi village located on the southern coast of Zanzibar Island where you can see both bottle-nose and humpback dolphins.
“The shallow coastal waters around Kizimkazi are a favourite hangout for dolphins that come here for the reliable food supply, to nurse their calves, rest and socialize,” they stated.
“Several bottle-nose dolphins stay at Kizimkazi all year-round. There are also rather shyer humpback dolphins that put in an appearance here, although their schedule is a little more erratic,” the materials add.
According to Kingo Yussuf, tour operator of Kobe Travels and Tours in Zanzibar, dolphins have always been a part of life in Zanzibar from when the island came to being. “But as a dolphin attraction sight, this started in 1990,” he said.
Speaking on the daily inflow of tourists to the site, Yussuf explained that: “About 80 tourists visit the dolphins daily. The most exciting part of the tour for tourists is when dolphins jump from the water.”
Indeed, most of the squeals and excitements were heard from the adults on the various fibre boats as the children expressed their own excitements by jumping straight into the emerald waters of the ocean for a closer and more personal interaction with the animals.
Although Yussuf was enthusiastic that “visitors can see about 50 dolphins in one hour,” only about seven seemed to be in the mood to entertain or show themselves at all.
“Dolphin tours are usually half day tours. After the first hour, you can spend the remaining time in the boat. But for those who can swim, they do so with the dolphins and have to remain under the water for five minutes to enjoy the best of the sea life,” he added.
Side attractions included colourful flying fishes, some of which were eaten up by preying birds, as well as other sea creatures and fishes recognisable from memory of having seen them on the National Geographic channel.