Fishing Pemba Island and the famous Pemba Channel from a sport fishing boat or live aboard yacht charter can only be described as spectacular and exhilarating! Besides the stunning beauty of Pemba Island itself, the surrounding islands, drop offs and reefs provide for some fantastic Big Game Fishing opportunities!
About Pemba Island
The coastline of mainland Pemba drops steeply into the Indian Ocean, whilst the outlying island tend to have the endless beaches dotted with palm trees. Accordingly, this provides the perfect getaway for anyone looking to experience a true Tropical Island Fishing Adventure! The nutrient rich, crystal clear, Indian Ocean waters drift up the Pemba Channel between mainland Tanzania and the west coast of Pemba Island, attracting large numbers of small fish and bait fish. The presence of all this food attracts many migratory billfish and other pelagic big game fish species!
Pemba Island, known as “The Green Island” in Arabic, is an island forming part of the Zanzibar Archipelago, lying within the Swahili Coast in the Indian Ocean. Pemba lies 31 miles east of mainland Tanzania, across the Pemba Channel. Together with Mafia Island (south of Zanzibar), these islands form The Spice Islands.
Most of the island, which is hillier and more fertile than Zanzibar (Unguja), is dominated by small scale farming. Additionally there is also large scale farming of cash crops such as cloves.
Pemba Island is separated from Zanzibar by the famous Pemba Channel where sheer drop-offs reach in excess of 800 meters. Surrounded by numerous small islands Pemba offers some of the best Sport Fishing opportunities in East Africa.
Towns of Pemba Island
The most important towns in Pemba are Chake Chake (the Capital), Mkoani and Wete, which is the largest city. Furthermore, the centrally located Chake-Chake is perched on a mound with a view to the west, over a stunning bay and the tiny island of Mesali.
Live Aboard Fishing Pemba Island & The Pemba Channel
Typically our Live Aboard Charters to Pemba Island depart from Nungwi, here on the northern tip of Zanzibar Island. Once we have slipped our mooring, we spend the day fishing our way up the Pemba Channel with some help from the Indian Ocean current pushing us along to the north. Enjoy great service onboard, delicious food, and ice cold beverages whilst waiting for that big fish to strike! Otherwise just chill whilst relaxing on the trampolines and watch the dolphins surf our bow wave.
Areas of Pemba we fish include:
- Pemba Channel
- Sea Mount north east of Pemba Island
- Light tackle fishing in the lagoons and mangroves of the west coast of Pemba.
- South east of Pemba – Ras Upembe
Big Game Fishing Pemba Island
The big game fishing in Pemba and the Pemba Channel is as good as it gets! There are no less than 6 varieties of Billfish in the Pemba Channel. These include Black Marlin, Blue Marlin, Striped Marlin, Broadbill Swordfish, Sailfish and Spearfish! Furthermore, there are huge sharks including Mako, Tiger, Thresher and Hammerhead to name a few. Added to this, big game fish species such as Yellowfin Tuna, large Wahoo, King Mackerel, Dorado, Barracuda, Giant Trevally, Dogtooth Tuna plus many others abound in these waters.
In peak Marlin season, the billfish and tunas move right up to the coastline making Pemba very interesting for fishing enthusiasts. Additionally, close to shore along the West coast and immediately off Pemba’s beaches, regular catches of lesser Game Fish species can be caught which include Rainbow Runner, Bonito and Skipjack Tuna, King Mackerel, Barracuda and Wahoo.
In conclusion, fishing Pemba Island is nothing short of spectacular and is widely recognised as one of the most unspoilt fishing destinations in East Africa.
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