DIVING ZAVORA

Diving in Zavora is truly amazing. I would have loved to have seen it in 2008 when Jon, Roy and Russell started off with their dive centre in this area. Dru was one of the lucky ones who dived the Sonho Profundo for the very first time with Jon, a very experienced tech diver who shares wonderful stories of all his underwater adventures.

 

 

 

 

 

MozDivers is the only dive centre in Mozambique that teaches tech diving, and thus this is where we came to explore truly untouched reefs, and Dru had the opportunity to brush up on his tech skills. We unfortunately got there slightly too late this time for me to complete my advanced Nitrox course, but now we have plenty of reason to go back, very very soon :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another reason we will be returning very soon is the Klipfontein wreck which lies about 6km off the coast from Zavora. It is in 53m of water. Built in 1937, she was a 160m long passenger/cargo vessel weighing in at 10544 tons.  To this day mystery still surrounds how she sunk and what hit her. This is by far Mozambique's best wreck dive, until Jon and his team discovers the next one with their mad skills.

 

She lies broken in three parts on the bottom of the Indian Ocean, with plenty on penetration possibilities. Unfortunately because of her depth, we did not see this one this time.

Emperor Angel, mid way between Juvenile and Adult

 

Mantas, mantas and more mantas. Unfortunately the visibility was less than 5 meters, we had some great "pea soup" dives, but none the less we had seen more in these dives than what I have seen in some crystal clear waters in Thailand, from time to time.

 

Very old guy!

 

Dru's tech skills being refreshed!

The coral is so healthy here, it is good to see that there are still reefs that are looked after. I am sure anyone who dived in in 2008 might say it has changed a lot, but it is still out of this world.

Perfect pose!

Another poser!

 

The new addition to the family. We were part of history as we arrived at Zavora. During a evening braai at Barra we met new found friends Pauli and Megan. Pauli was on his way as a skipper to assist in pulling a Spanish ship, containing 4 tons of crayfish, that had beached just North of Zavora during heavy winds and storms, whom had made it slightly lose their course on their way from Maputo.

 

At the time it did not mean too much to us, until be got to Zavora and saw the boat had still not moved. As we were diving daily and having fun the mystery of the ship and the process of what happens when a accident like this happens unfolded in front of our eyes.

 

After many days of hard work for the salvaging crew and many people who helped, there were only two decisions left. Either the owners had to fit the bill and get the ship pulled off the beach and towed to safe harbour, or if agreed with the local authorities the ship could be sunk in Mozambican waters.

 

If one or the other of these two parties could not agree on a course of action the salvation crew simply pulls the boat off the beach, drags it on its quickest course to international waters and scuttles it.

 

We were all holding thumbs for Jon and his team that the Moz Authorities will agree to have it scuttled right at Zavora and that the owner will not see it worth while to pull it back. Luck and a lot of phone calls was on Jon's side and this is now the newest wreck at Zavora, in a nice 30 odd meters of water.

 

We cannot wait to go and dive it in a years time, and then again in 10 years! How awesome to be part of such a little piece of history...

 

The newest wreck at Zavora

The tug that was assisting in pulling it off the beach.

 

 

THANK YOU JON AND GUAN FOR THE BEST DIVES, AND GREAT TIMES.

We will see you soon!