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The Bazaruto Archipelago has been considered one of East Africa’s best, and certainly Mozambique’s, premier fishing destinations since the late 50’s, when pioneer anglers fishing from the basic fleet at Santa Carolina island discovered a very healthy population of giant black marlin in a sea which teemed with other, then so called “lesser gamefish.”
The Bazaruto Archipelago has been considered one of East Africa’s best, and certainly Mozambique’s, premier fishing destinations since the late 50’s, when pioneer anglers fishing from the basic fleet at Santa Carolina island discovered a very healthy population of giant black marlin in a sea which teemed with other, then so called “lesser gamefish.” Until the early seventies, when the country erupted into a 20-year civil war, many fish of biblical proportions were caught and the area gained a worldwide reputation for its grander marlin. The end of the civil war obviously brought a great interest for anglers to once again explore the archipelago’s water, and those lucky enough to have fished the area in the recent past have found that the Mozambican war years have left the resource virtually untouched, with fish close to the grander mark being commonly caught or released every year. The archipelago is still the only place in Africa to have produced black marlin in excess of a 1000 pounds and the current all-tackle African record for the species, was actually caught off the northern tip of Bazaruto Island in November 1998 - an incredible fish of 1298 pounds.
More than anything else, however, those anglers have found that the archipelago’s fisheries are much more than the Giant black marlin which migrate through its waters in the summer months. They have discovered an amazing winter run of sailfish, a great variety of offshore species such as big wahoo, dorado, king mackerel, giant trevally and tuna, to name a few, as well as a great diversity of inshore species on the leeward of the islands, making it an ideal destination for light tackle and fly fisherman.
OCEAN SAFARIS
Although you will most probably enjoy seeing whales, dolphins, mantas, whale sharks and different sea bird species on your fishing trips, the resort also organizes whale and dolphin watching safaris which, due to the island’s rich marine resources, can be a thrilling and most interesting experience.
Proceeds from the ocean safaris will support the Bazaruto National Park and community development in the area.
Some of the species that can be seen on the safaris are;
• HUMPBACK WHALES – This species migrate through the islands in the winter months (June to early November). During this time you are almost guaranteed to see them, and what a sight it is to see these massive creatures jump a few meters from the boat. Late in the season they are often with their new born calves, as they migrate south to colder waters
• DOLPHINS – There are four different species of dolphins that can be seen year round, and at any given time you are guaranteed to see at least one of them. Those four species are the bottlenose, common, humpback and the spinner.
• WHALE SHARKS – From April to July, sighting the whale shark is quite a common experience and in 2003 we saw them virtually every day on our fishing trips. This is the largest fish in the sea, but being the docile and slow creatures they are, you can enjoy seeing them from the boat or you can dive in the water and snorkel around them!
• MANTAS – Around the same time as the whale sharks, the Bazaruto waters are visited by large manta rays that sometimes congregate in huge numbers. Again, this spectacle can be enjoyed from the boat or with a mask, snorkel and a pair of fins in their natural habitat.
• DUGONGS – The Bazaruto Archipelago is blessed with the largest population of this endangered species on the eastern coast of Africa. It is believed that this now almost extinct creature was responsible for starting the myths of the mermaids. Although rare to see, these waters will probably give you one of the best chances in the world to do so.
• SEA BIRDS
• SEA TURTLES
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