Most Dangerous Beach in Zanzibar- Jambiani Beach

In this post, I want to talk about the most dangerous beach I have visited while in Africa, and it may not be dangerous for the reasons you think. On the East coast of the Unguja island of the Zanzibar Archipelago, there is a small village called Jambiani. It is just south of a town called Paje which is a well-known tourist destination.

The beach is a fantastic natural and cultural ecosystem like I have never seen before. From the shore, you can see shining white sand, sparsely populated with few tourists and many locals working trying to offer services or sell goods. You can see fishermen going about their business bringing in fresh delicious sometimes still live fish. Just below the tide's highest point, there are seaweed farms that are exclusively worked by women. People regularly kite surf and enjoy the beautiful beach. Out in the distance far beyond the soft sand beachy about a mile from the coast only during low tide you can see a protruding system of flat rocks that locals use for various fishing activities

So what makes the beach dangerous?

The water may have a welcoming blue color and velvet texture, but be wary and make sure that you are prepared. For the safest most immersive experience I recommend you link up with a local to help you get accustomed to the area. I had the privilege to go spearfishing with Mzee(Old man) Mashawe a local of Jambiani who probably knows the beach better than anyone currently alive. Without him, I could not have swum safely in the ocean, or have the knowledge to write this article. The first day we met on a fishing expedition I impressed him by being able to keep up with him in the ocean he was hunting for pearl oysters. The moment that Mashawe knew I was ready for spearfishing was when he slaughtered two pearl oysters, cluching both oysters to my chest I used my legs to take our prey back to our fishing boat. The fact that I could move in the water while carrying heavy objects with my hands made Mashawe know that I was ready for what Jambiani Beach had to offer. The next day I met with Mashawe. No boat. What we had was a spear, a sack, flippers and, goggles

Here is what I discovered

A Brutal Current and sharp features

Because of the coral reefs, there are certain pockets of water where the current is deceivingly strong. With our destination being considered Mzee Mashawe picked the perfect angle for us to swim with the current while being able to search for fish and other creatures at coral reefs along the way. Swimming through the current one could observe so many different fish ecosystems. Mashawe was taking us to an area that squid have been known to frequent. While swimming we needed to remain vigilant of our environment. I am not a sea biology expert, but the current took us through many jagged, unforgiving dead coral reefs.

Massive amount of Sea Urchins

In these coral reefs there are SO MANY sea urchins, some growing up to at least a foot in diameter. While I was swimming I hit my heel on a sea urchin. Several of their thorns were stuck in my foot. I yelled over to old man Mashawe “Mzee, Nisidie!”- Old man come over and help me! He came over and lifted my foot out of the water and picked out the sea urchin thorns. We continued with our hunt. If I were seriously injured we could have easily called over a fisherman or tourist boat that would have helped us. Locals have no use for these fish. I was told that the Chinese use the urchins for some kind of commercial product.

Sand that seems like it has super fine glass in it

After having my heel impaled by a sea urchin I was pretty exhausted. Start to swim back to the shore. Still far from the beach, I reach shallow water with soft sand below me. I start to walk on the sand, as my body is raised and more weight is put on my feet I start to feel something like microscopic glass digging into my feet. I thought it maybe was just one spot, but as I walked more it only got worse. Around this time from afar while Mzee Mashawe was fishing he gave me a signal with his hands that said “What are you doing” I signaled to him that I wanted to go to the shore. He ended his fishing trip early to escort me back to the shore with a favorable current.

Final Thoughts

Visiting the beach of Jambiani is truly a magical experience. It honestly felt like I was in a video game or a fantasy world because how the ocean seems like a puzzle waiting to be solved. Want to learn how to slaughter and cook a pearl oyster? Don’t bother with YouTube, find a local to help you. Want to learn how to navigate the treacherous ocean? better befriend the old men of the beach to share their knowledge that has been passed down for generations. Jambiani Beach certainly has an element of mystery that keeps me fascinated by the beach and its people. Although the water can be so beautiful and pure be wary. Inside that water is a force that can kill you, or at least put a damper in your Zanzibar vacation.