Diving at Nuarro in the Quirimbas

The dive centre at Nuarro reflects four owner-managers' love of diving.

Steve is a PADI dive instructor who has worked in a wide variety of dive settings and managed dive centres in Dubai and Mozambique. Lola is a specialist PADI dive instructor and has worked in Sharm, Malawi and Mozambique. Peter, who manages the dive centre at Nuarro, is a PADI dive instructor; and Trienke is a dive master. In addition, local dive staff are in training.

The dive centre has its own reception and lounge, a dressing area with lockers and showers, and a separate classroom â Nuarro offers all PADI dive courses and most PADI specialities. The dive boats are custom-made dhows skippered by experienced local captains and equipped with radio, GPS and emergency kits.

Nuarro is on the Nanatha Half Moon Bay at the southern point of the larger Memba Bay on the Baixo do Pinda Peninsula.  The peninsula is linked to the mainland by a kilometre long spit and is very close to the continental shelf.

The Nanatha Bay allows the diver entry from the shore and provides a natural buffer against the prevailing currents. It has a gradually sloping bottom topography that slips away towards the start of the shelf, which sits just 200m from the beach. Dive conditions are usually good because Nuarro is protected from the prevailing winds. Visibility can be greater than 40m and never falls below 10m â there is no run-off from rivers, for one thing.

In Steve and Lola's judgment, the coral life around Nuarro is more extensive and healthier than that of southern Mozambique and offers a greater diversity. I am not sufficiently experienced to have a worthwhile opinion, so look forward to divers' reports.

Dive sites

Anemone Gardens and Gobi Sands are about 100m off shore. This easy dive (to 10m) can be undertaken at most times of the day. Mantis shrimp, cowries, nudibranch, coral heads with butterfly fish, damsel fish, moray eels and bluespotted stingrays are among the species commonly encountered here. Bio-luminescence makes this a spectacular night dive.

Beyond the Gobi Sands and the Sea Grass Fields, you reach the Nanatha Wall, where The Guardians stand. These five pinnacles are 15m below the surface and run down to 40m. You can follow the wall in either direction and find several swim-throughs; or investigate the delightful pinnacles.

Following the Nanatha Wall to the west, the wall makes a 90º bend at Island Rock. Among the diverse range of coral found here are massive fields of table coral, and elephant, acropora, mountain and dome types.

Nuarro Point, where the Nanatha Bay ends, is a current dive. Larger fish such as trevally (kingfish), tuna, barracuda and snapper all frequent this point.  Nanatha Point is on the opposite side of the bay. At spring tide, when the current is strong, this is a drift dive. Larger species of fish can be found here and humpback dolphins have been seen. The huge gorgonian forest running along this part of the wall for upwards of 100m is the main feature of this site. Beyond Nanatha Point is a wall which runs the complete circumference of the Baixo with around 15km of wall diving and myriad dive sites.

There are several wrecks and some spectacular drops, as well as the opportunity to see abundant large and small fish. This is an area for experienced divers who will appreciate being among the first to explore these pristine sites.