Maputo Dive Center is a Mozambique-run PADI 5-star dive center in the capital Maputo. The team offers courses for beginners and advanced divers as well as multi-day diving and safari trips to Ponta do Ouro and Tofo. This makes the center suitable both for guests with a short stay in Maputo and as a starting point for a longer trip to Mosambik’s famous big fish reefs.
Diving with sharks
The “Shark Edition” combines dives in Ponta do Ouro and Tofo with a safari in the Kruger National Park. In the south of Mosambik, depending on the season and dive site, bull sharks, tiger sharks, sand tiger sharks, reef sharks, and hammerhead sharks can be encountered. Tofo is also known for whale sharks, which are often observed while snorkeling during a boat trip or surface break.
Bull sharks occur more frequently in the warm southern summer. Sand tiger sharks, on the other hand, migrate from South Africa to the south during the cooler months Mosambiks. Which species actually appear depends on the season, weather, currents, visibility, and route; individual encounters cannot be guaranteed. Information on baiting or feeding is not clearly published for the current trips and should be inquired about before booking if needed.
Many sites can be reached by inflatable boat, in Ponta do Ouro and Tofo partly with launches through the surf. Currents, depth, and longer excursions can make dives challenging. The dive center adjusts suitable sites and tours according to guest certification and experience; specific requirements for the shark trip should be confirmed in advance.
Courses in Maputo and diving in Ponta do Ouro
For PADI courses, theory and pool training can be completed in Maputo, while the open water dives take place in Ponta do Ouro, located roughly to the south. Offered courses include, among others, Open Water Diver, Advanced Open Water Diver, as well as specialty courses for Nitrox, deep diving, and wreck diving. Instruction is available in English and Portuguese.
Founded in 2022, the center combines guest operations with the training of local diving professionals. Multi-day programs combine Ponta do Ouro, Tofo or other coastal destinations with nature and safari segments. As a result, the base particularly appeals to travelers who want to start their diving training in Maputo or combine shark and big fish areas with a longer Mosambik trip.
