Mafia Island Marine Park

Tanzania

Mafia Island Marine Park is Tanzania's first multi-user marine protected area, covering 822 km2 around the Mafia Archipelago in the Indian Ocean.

Established in 1995 with WWF support, Mafia Island Marine Park was the first marine park of its kind in Tanzania. It is known among divers for its resident whale shark population and coral reef habitats. Research within the park has documented a spillover effect, with fish biomass several times higher inside the protected boundary than in more distant fished areas.