Months of planning culminated eventually in getting to Nacala, northern Moçambique, in April 2024. I had been wanting to go there since i read in an old Skiboat magazine about 2 guys who went there twenty odd years ago, towing a small boat from Natal, South Africa. I will always remember the boat name, Briekmerk, and that they mentioned huge dropoffs close to land. What turned it for me again, was when Mike Donald shot a Dogtooth Tuna of about 30 kilos there in December 2023.
I met a team of spearos in Maputo, to join with a 2 hr flight to Nacala. Eric, Chris, Cem and Gavin all been with me before. Oldest me, 58 and youngest Chris, 32. Months of planning, more equipment purchases and plenty of expectation went into this unknown destination, for all of us.
We were met at Nacala airport, and stayed by Mike, himself a spearo and active diver. He has a very well run lodge called Kwalala lodge. We were land based this time, and travelled out daily on his two inflatables between 20 and 45 minutes at a time . What a place! A seriously deepwater channel bay, with big ships filling up, mostly coal, all day long in the deepwater harbour. Spectacular dropoffs, from 10m to 200m in 50m outside the bay.
Incredible coral fields and walls of reef. A scuba divers paradise as well.
We stayed there 6 nights, and dived every day. You have plenty of options, as there are many places to go. In the bay its quite murky and goes to 100m plus in 50m. The water tempreture was 28,4 deg C .Some of the warmest ive ever expierenced.
Great host, great lodge, great food, but we didnt find dogtooth tuna this time. Most of the other #gamefish also weren't around, probably because of the warm water..... Jury is still out, but what an incredible place!
29th April we hopped on a chartered minibus, and travelled south for 12 hours to Quelimane.
There we were met by Hugo, on the Bom Dia. A 45ft cat that operates as a liveaboard out of there between April and July each year. We go 6 nights, 5 full days diving on this rig.
It's a 15 hour sail north (back up north) to Pantaloon reef. An offshore reef that comes up to 10m from deep. Its about 40 km offshore from the closest land. We usually go there late season, but this year we wanted warm water in the hope that Doggies would be there. Research says that we need water of at least 27 deg C, and so early season was better for this. Water temp was 27 deg C when we arrived, as planned.
We had 3 days of spearfishing before bad weather turned us back to port. We dived from sun up to 16h00 when it started becoming dark and difficult to see. I got a personal best of 27.1 kg couta, (Narrow band spanish mackerel) , and the other guys got some good fish. Chef onboard knows how to prepare fish, which we ate most days. Nothing better than fresh fish that we shot! We shot a few couta over 20 kilos, which is great anywhere, but didnt get the ilusive dogtooth tuna!
What i've learned about #Pantaloon diving there for 6 weeks, is that there are big couta in April/ May that stay for the season. GTs in June. Sailfish in late July. Big Bohar, rubberlips, malabar rockcods and reasonable jobfish. Its also the place to shoot Marlin, as seen on another yacht last year july. You just got to be in the right place at the right time. There are also #Dogtooth Tuna, but they wonder around so you also need to be in the right place at the right time. We did see a big one after Cem shot a rainbow runner, who came in to look, but stayed his distance...... Also got two small ones on jig. They are there, but not easy pickings.
All in all its an excellent unspoilt destination where you will use your big gun (1.2m plus), Flasher, and test out your float line and bouy! Don't bring a penknife to a gunfight! Depths are from 20m, but you will also pick up on the flasher.
We go each year, so RSVP your place early. 5000 rands each secures your place. There are only 12 weeks in that season, and they go quickly. Ones and twos are WELCOME , and groups of four works well. Get your place early. Space is limited. Good chance you will get your personal best.