This one-to-two-hour interactive island experience promises a fascinating glimpse into significant conservation efforts on &Beyond Mnemba Island and the behind-the-scenes workings that come with it. You’ll witness the dedication of the marine rangers and staff members, gaining an insight into the island’s delicate ecosystem.
Your tour begins with an introduction to Mnemba’s long-term green sea turtle monitoring programme, one of the most extensive in the Indian Ocean. The island provides a safe haven for these magnificent creatures to nest, and you’ll have the unique opportunity to see exactly where these nests can be found on the island. Here, the rangers will explain how they meticulously track the nests using tick charts, predicting hatch dates with remarkable accuracy. If luck is on your side, witnessing a turtle hatching would be a highlight of your trip, and not something easily forgotten.
The island’s indigenous tree nursery is another stop on your tour. Here, you’ll learn about the collaborative efforts with the Department of Forestry to cultivate indigenous trees. You’ll also discover the reasoning behind removing casuarinas, a non-indigenous species found on the island that disrupts its natural ecosystem.
Next up, is the sandbag erosion wall. While the specifics of the project might be a bit technical, you’ll gain a clear understanding of the problem’s history, causes, and potential consequences as well as the team’s continuous efforts to mitigate erosion, protecting the future of the island.
The discussion will then shift to the island’s suni and Aders’ duiker population, which has grown considerably in recent years, as well as the purpose behind the exclusion zone. You’ll learn about the challenges this poses and the collaborative strategies to address it.
This land-based island experience is ideal for non-divers and must be booked in advance (can be booked once on the island). Subject to availability of the Oceans Without Borders (OWB) and marine ranger teams and weather dependent.
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