safari experts, since 1991
See how we earn 5 starsTrustpilot - 5 stars
×
SEARCH OUR STORIES
SEARCH OUR SAFARIS
Subscribe to our newsletter and/or app

Have you ever heard of nudibranchs? The Mafia Island Marine Park in Tanzania is host to a wide diversity of corals, fish, invertebrates and vertebrates. In fact the diversity was one of the reasons that it was first protected as a fisheries reserve in the 1970s.

Now it is a fully gazetted marine park and a fabulous place to dive, with the water temperature around 26 – 29ºC. This area is a great place for warm-water species as it survived the last coral bleaching event remarkably well with rapid recovery to the vibrancy and pre-bleaching colours and diversity.

The marine park is the home of giants and magnificent marine critters. The big fish dives with giant groupers, giant oceanic manta rays, giant moray eels, and great barracuda are exciting, but do they compare with treasure hunting for nudibranchs?

nudibranchs, mollusc, ocean, marine life, Mafia Island, Tanzania

Nudibranchs (the naked gills) are molluscs, the flamboyant snails of the ocean. Their colours and shapes are stunning, and their multiple forms elegant and striking.

Searching for a new one becomes addictive!

nudibranchs, mollusc, ocean, marine life, Mafia Island, Tanzania

Nudibranchs are often found exquisitely stationed on rocky outcrops, sentinel to the life going on around them, camouflaged or vibrant in opposition to the background colour. Finding a nudibranch is a treat – finding one that you have never seen before an even bigger treat!

nudibranchs, mollusc, ocean, marine life, Mafia Island, Tanzania

Mating nudibranchs are not often seen. They are hermaphrodites and to mate they align themselves right sides together to pierce each other with their penis-like structure resulting in exchange of eggs and sperm. They can do this even in raging currents.

Carnivorous nudibranchs are occasionally found eating one of their kind. Hunting nudibranchs can be found perched and poised to pounce.

nudibranchs, mollusc, ocean, marine life, Mafia Island, Tanzania

Nudibranchs are usually found stationary but occasionally they can be found on the move. To join the current and relocate their muscular foot lets go of its attachment to the coral to roll in the current, paragliding to another destination sometimes helped by a stone and slime anchor that moderates their descent

They are mostly solitary, doing their own thing, though sometimes they can be found in tandem.

nudibranchs, mollusc, ocean, marine life, Mafia Island, Tanzania nudibranch, mollusc, ocean, marine life, Mafia Island, Tanzania

To comment on this story: Login (or sign up) to our app here - it's a troll-free safe place 🙂.


HOW TO GET THE MOST OUT OF AFRICA GEOGRAPHIC:

  • Travel with us. Travel in Africa is about knowing when and where to go, and with whom. A few weeks too early / late and a few kilometres off course and you could miss the greatest show on Earth. And wouldn’t that be a pity? Browse our ready-made packages or answer a few questions to start planning your dream safari.
  • Subscribe to our FREE newsletter / download our FREE app to enjoy the following benefits.
  • Plan your safaris in remote parks protected by African Parks via our sister company https://ukuri.travel/ - safari camps for responsible travellers

AG Logo

In the Guest Blogger profile, you'll see fresh and exciting content from a range of contributors who have submitted their content to us on a once-off or temporary basis, including press releases, campaigns and exciting adventure and travel tales!

Africa Geographic Travel
[wpforms id="152903"]
<div class="wpforms-container wpforms-container-full" id="wpforms-152903"><form id="wpforms-form-152903" class="wpforms-validate wpforms-form wpforms-ajax-form" data-formid="152903" method="post" enctype="multipart/form-data" action="/stories/wonderful-world-nudibranchs/" data-token="53f464fd16bc6141c645902ae073a1c7"><noscript class="wpforms-error-noscript">Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.</noscript><div class="wpforms-field-container"><div id="wpforms-152903-field_1-container" class="wpforms-field wpforms-field-email" data-field-id="1"><label class="wpforms-field-label wpforms-label-hide" for="wpforms-152903-field_1">Email Address <span class="wpforms-required-label">*</span></label><input type="email" id="wpforms-152903-field_1" class="wpforms-field-medium wpforms-field-required" name="wpforms[fields][1]" placeholder="Email " required></div></div><div class="wpforms-submit-container"><input type="hidden" name="wpforms[id]" value="152903"><input type="hidden" name="wpforms[author]" value="3"><input type="hidden" name="wpforms[post_id]" value="94242"><button type="submit" name="wpforms[submit]" id="wpforms-submit-152903" class="wpforms-submit" data-alt-text="Sending..." data-submit-text="Subscribe" aria-live="assertive" value="wpforms-submit">Subscribe</button><img src="https://africageographic.com/wp-content/plugins/wpforms/assets/images/submit-spin.svg" class="wpforms-submit-spinner" style="display: none;" width="26" height="26" alt="Loading"></div></form></div> <!-- .wpforms-container -->