Mnemba Island dolphin tour with Salaam Cave: Swim with turtles

Chase dolphins in crystal water, then meet the turtles waiting in the lagoon

A full-day tour from your Zanzibar hotel takes you by boat to Mnemba Island to search for dolphins and snorkel the reefs, then drives you north to Salaam Cave to swim with rescued green sea turtles in a natural lagoon. Your guide leads both water stops. Hotel pickup, lunch and a bottle of water are included.

Step-by-step itinerary

Dolphin tour and nature visits

• Hotel pickup after breakfast
• Transfer to Mnemba Island
• Boat cruise searching dolphins
• Swim and snorkel near dolphins
• Visit sandbank if low tide
• Lunch on the beach with fruits
• Drive to Salaam Cave Aquarium
• Swim and watch green sea turtles

The experience

The day starts with a driver picking you up after breakfast and heading to Mnemba Island, where you board a boat to hunt for dolphins in the conservation area. When you find them, you swim alongside them near the reefs. If the tide is low, the boat cruises to the sandbank instead. After the water time, you get lunch on the beach, fresh fruit included, before the driver takes you north along Zanzibar's roads toward the coast.

Salaam Cave is a natural lagoon that now serves as a sanctuary for rescued green sea turtles. You'll have time to watch them and swim in the clear water alongside them. The whole outing runs about eight hours door-to-door, with the morning focused on dolphins and the afternoon on turtles. Your English-speaking guide is with you throughout, and the driver handles all transport between sites.

What’s included

• Private transportation from your hotel and back.
• hotel pickup and drop-off.
• a bottle of water.
• fresh fruit lunch on the beach at Mnemba.
• all fees and taxes.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 06:30

Book up to1h before

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 8 days ago

Good to know

Moderate physical effortInfant seats availableNot recommended during pregnancyNot recommended with heart problemsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Biggerheart tours

Is this one for you?This is a shared tour with a guide leading both stops, so you're not navigating on your own: the driver and guide handle the route and timing. Pick this one if you want someone else managing the boat, the dolphin search and the turtle swim, and if a full day of travel and water time fits your energy level.

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Top questions

What's it actually like to swim with the dolphins at Mnemba Island?

Mnemba Island sits in a conservation area where dolphins live year-round. You search for them by boat, and when the guide spots a pod, you enter the water to swim near them in their natural habitat. The reefs around the island are also part of the snorkel time, so you see coral and fish in the same outing.

Can I really swim with the sea turtles at Salaam Cave?

Salaam Cave is a natural lagoon that rescues and shelters green sea turtles. Yes, you swim in the same water with them, though they move at their own pace and you follow their lead. The water is clear, so you can see them moving around the lagoon.

What happens if the tide is wrong when we get to Mnemba?

If it's low tide when you arrive, the boat takes you to the sandbank instead of the reef snorkel. You still search for dolphins and swim with them. The sandbank is a shallow, sandy area that appears when the tide drops, and it's another way to experience the Mnemba waters.

Is the lunch included, or do I need to bring money?

Lunch is included in the tour price. You eat fresh fruit on the beach at Mnemba after the dolphin swim, so you don't need to pay extra or bring cash for that meal.

How much time do I actually spend in the water?

The morning at Mnemba Island is the main water time: dolphin swimming and snorkeling the reefs, or the sandbank if the tide is low. At Salaam Cave in the afternoon, you have time to swim with the turtles. The exact length depends on what the dolphins do and how long you want to stay with the turtles, but both are active water stops, not quick visits.