Conservation
Zanzibar Water
Depending on the season, our waters are home to a remarkable range of marine life - from resident dolphin pods we know by name to the ocean’s giants passing through on their seasonal migration.
Resident species:
· Bottlenose dolphins - the population we’ve been documenting since 2019
· Spinner dolphins - recognisable by their acrobatic spinning leaps
· Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins - a rare coastal species, with a distinctive hump in front of the dorsal fin in adults
Seasonal visitors:
· Humpback whales - pass through Zanzibar’s waters during migration season (roughly July - October)
· Whale sharks - the largest fish in the ocean, seen seasonally off the island’s coast
· Bottlenose dolphins - the population we’ve been documenting since 2019
· Spinner dolphins - recognisable by their acrobatic spinning leaps
· Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins - a rare coastal species, with a distinctive hump in front of the dorsal fin in adults
Seasonal visitors:
· Humpback whales - pass through Zanzibar’s waters during migration season (roughly July - October)
· Whale sharks - the largest fish in the ocean, seen seasonally off the island’s coast
WHAT WE DO
Mermaid Experience is Zanzibar’s first ethical dolphin encounter operator.
Every trip out to the ocean is accompanied by a team of professional freedivers.
We believe respect for the ocean starts with preparation. That’s why we opened a freediving school - and out of it grew Zanzibar’s first freediving club: a small, slow-built community that treats the ocean as home, not scenery.
Every photograph we take in the water feeds into the work of Under The Wave Zanzibar, a local marine conservation NGO that also plants coral off the island and runs education programs for the local community.
Years of archived footage now form the backbone of a photo-identification program: to date, we’ve identified and named 70 individual dolphins by their markings and scars - a living database built out of ordinary tourist moments.
Our dhow, Sirena, is part of the same story. Her sail is painted by African artists, turning every voyage into a moving canvas - guests become patrons of that art, not passengers on a tour. Proceeds fund coral restoration. When a sail is retired, it isn’t discarded - it’s remade into named artifacts honouring specific Mnemba Island dolphins.
Every trip out to the ocean is accompanied by a team of professional freedivers.
We believe respect for the ocean starts with preparation. That’s why we opened a freediving school - and out of it grew Zanzibar’s first freediving club: a small, slow-built community that treats the ocean as home, not scenery.
Every photograph we take in the water feeds into the work of Under The Wave Zanzibar, a local marine conservation NGO that also plants coral off the island and runs education programs for the local community.
Years of archived footage now form the backbone of a photo-identification program: to date, we’ve identified and named 70 individual dolphins by their markings and scars - a living database built out of ordinary tourist moments.
Our dhow, Sirena, is part of the same story. Her sail is painted by African artists, turning every voyage into a moving canvas - guests become patrons of that art, not passengers on a tour. Proceeds fund coral restoration. When a sail is retired, it isn’t discarded - it’s remade into named artifacts honouring specific Mnemba Island dolphins.
Just like humans have fingerprints, every dolphin carries unique markings - nicks on the dorsal fin, scars, scratches earned over a lifetime in the wild.
But unlike fingerprints, these marks tell a story. Who fought. Who survived. Who is shy. Who is curious. Who is the elder.
We know them. We name them. We watch their calves grow, their friendships shift, their moods change.
Here are some of the individuals you might meet.
Remember: they are not characters. They are real. We just borrowed their names.
But unlike fingerprints, these marks tell a story. Who fought. Who survived. Who is shy. Who is curious. Who is the elder.
We know them. We name them. We watch their calves grow, their friendships shift, their moods change.
Here are some of the individuals you might meet.
Remember: they are not characters. They are real. We just borrowed their names.
Happy Blue
Named by Sheikha Moza Al Maktoum during our expedition in July 2026.
Has a cut on the dorsal fin.
Has a cut on the dorsal fin.
Wanu
Has a notched dorsal fin.
Kai
Means “OCEAN.”
Has a dark mark near the tail.
Has a dark mark near the tail.
Naia
Carries a scar on her back.
Bahari
Swahili for “OCEAN.”
Known for the unusual shape of his left fin.
Known for the unusual shape of his left fin.
Ray
Has a scratch near the eye.
Tide
White mark near the tail.
Lana
Carries a large shark-bite scar.
Joker
Has a distinctly torn, jagged dorsal fin.
Tahiri