Whale Shark Expedition
A women-only whale shark and conservation expedition to Mafia Island.
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Overview
I first went to Mafia Island nine years ago and fell in love instantly! The laid-back people, the sunsets, the dancing, the beaches… and of course, the whale sharks. Swimming with these gentle giants fills you with total awe. This island is still very much hidden and untouched, with fewer than 2,000 visitors annually.
So I created this expedition: small groups of just ten women, swimming with whale sharks while also helping collect vital data for conservation efforts. Alongside that, we snorkel in the marine park, spot turtles and octopus, sometimes dolphins too, share beach cleans, cooking demos, gentle goal-setting workshops. And plenty of time by the pool in our beautiful and peaceful hotel, soaking up the year-round sun.
What makes this expedition different isn’t just the whale sharks… It’s going with the Love Her Wild community. Our community is all about bringing women together to explore outside our comfort zones, but always in a supportive team. There’ll be many laughs along the way and new friends for life.
Most women join not knowing anyone. A WhatsApp group is set up in advance so you can say hello and coordinate travel with others in your team if you like.
No experience is needed… You only need to be a comfortable swimmer.
Mafia, and this expedition, really is magic! Many women leave saying it’s changed them in ways they never expected. We look forward to hopefully seeing you on Mafia Island soon 🙂
Bex Band
Founder of Love Her Wild
Expedition Highlights
Expedition Testimonials
At a glance
Meals
Transfers
Airport transfers, local transport on the island, and boat transfers
Group size
Expert team
Accommodation
Entrance fees
Conservation
Whale shark data collection – citizen science project
Who this trip is for
About the Expedition
Conservation
This is a hands-on conservation expedition. As well as directly contributing to research, we hope you will leave feeling enthused to protect our oceans following memorable close encounters with marine life and lectures where you can learn more about marine conservation.
Whale sharks are the largest fish on the planet. We know very little about these sharks as they spend most of their time in the deep sea, but experts think they may live as old as 100 years old. One thing we do know about the population is that they are decreasing due to various threats such as fishing and pollution. Scientists are working to gather information on whale sharks so that we can better understand their habits and behaviour.
Most days on expedition we will be out on the ocean in a traditional dhow boat looking for whale sharks. When we spot a shark, you and the team will enter the water and swim alongside them collecting as much data as we can – including trying to capture a photo of their unique spots (which acts as a thumbprint to identify individual sharks). Once this has been collected you are free to swim as many times with the sharks until you are tired…..we usually give up before they do!
When we swim with the whale sharks we will be snorkelling so no diving experience is necessary.
Being wild animals sightings are never guaranteed. We are there during peak migration season and our length of time on the island gives us a really good chance of sightings but, like with all animal sightings in the wild, you should come with the expectation that seeing them is not a given.
Throughout the week, there will be lectures and workshops on Whale Sharks, Corals and wider marine conservation issues.
As well as collecting data on Whale Sharks, we will also do beach cleans and have an opportunity to learn and practice how to monitor and collect data on corals.
PLEASE NOTE: There is a huge overfishing issue on the island so we will only be serving vegetarian meals on the expedition and expect participants to be on board with this.
Rest & Relaxation
We are up early each day on the boats as the sharks are most active in the mornings. This means we have plenty of time in the afternoons to rest by the pool.
If you like to keep yourself busy though, there will be lots of activities on offer alongside our conservation work. You can look forward to personal goal setting workshops and group activities. You can visit the famous island hippos, or wander the market buying fabrics to get tailored into a unique souvenir to take home.
We also spend 2 full days visiting the other side of the island and the protected Marine Park where we snorkel and visit a secret lagoon. We will visit the very special Chole Island…..in a typical year the island gets just 200 visitors! There are no cars and we will be searching for hidden ruins and the worlds largest bats – the Flying Foxes.
On our last night, you can look forward to a sunset cruise and BBQ on the beach. Our local boat team might try to persuade you to join them for a dance at the local ‘club’!!!
Accommodation
We will be staying at the beautiful and quiet Bustani Hotel which has been hired out exclusively for our group. You will get en suite private room with air-con (although we encourage you to utilise the sea breeze as much as possible to reduce our impact).
All beds have mosquito nets. There is a private pool with loungers, bar and relaxation area on site. We will make the most of the warm weather and meals will be served outside.
Mafia is a poverty-stricken and cut-off Island so although we will be staying in comfort, you should prepare yourself for the realities of life there. Malaria and other diseases are present so you will need to check with your GP about preventative measures and vaccinations you will need.
Many of the islanders still live in mud huts with no running water and electricity. The local Tanzanians have are friendly and reserved nature and part of the enjoyment of Mafia is getting to know the locals and their way of life which is so different to ours.
We ensure that all our local teams are paid a fair and above average wage and that us being on the island contributes to the local economy. If you’d like to bring clothes, books or toys (please avoid plastic…the island is already overrun with too much of it!) we can arrange for these to be donated to the nearby schools or nurseries.
A typical day
Most days we will start early – breakfast will be eaten on the boat (or can be arranged earlier if you’d like to line your stomach). Usually, we will be out looking for or swimming with the whale sharks until 12-2pm when we will return for lunch at our hotel.
There will be snacks and water available on the boat. The afternoons will be yours to relax and enjoy the island. Some days we will organise an optional beach clean, sessions or games. Other days we’ll recommend activities that you might like to do on the island.
Before dinner is a great time to go for a walk along the beach to watch the sunset. We will then have a meal together as a group followed by a workshop or conservation talk.
What is included
One of the great things about the Whale Shark Expedition is that almost everything is included in the trip cost. There are very few places to spend your money on the island and, even then, drinks and souvenirs are cheap.
Included in the price…
- 9 nights in private accommodation in Bustani Lodge
- All meals are included from dinner on the day of your arrival to breakfast on the departure day. Meals will be vegetarian, helping us reduce our carbon footprint and avoid contributing to animal mistreatment or overfishing. We can cater for most dietary preferences and intolerances, including vegan and gluten-free diets. If you have any allergies, please get in touch with us before booking so we can understand your needs properly and discuss a plan with the kitchen team on Mafia Island.
- Transfers to and from Mafia airport to the hotel
- An experienced expedition leader
- Local support crew….and fare wages for all our local team!
- Private boat for whale shark swimming and data collection
- All Marine Park and Whale Swimming fees
- Snorkel and fin hire for the duration
- Personal development, pilates and conservation workshops
- Additional activities including a say trip to snorkel in the marine park, visit Chole Island, the Blue Lagoon and lunch on a sandbank
- Beach BBQ and a sunset cruise on the last night
What isn’t included
- International flights (you will need to fly into Dar es Salaam)
- Internal flight from Dar es Salaam to Mafia Island (estimate $300 return)
- Travel insurance
- Drinks
- Additional activities not included in the itinerary (as a ballpark, an additional cultural tour costs around $20, or return transportation to the market is $5)
- You may also wish to add on a safari package on the mainland before flying home. (We can help you book both these options!)
- Tips for the local team (you may like to tip the ‘whale shark’ boat and hotel team, suggested amount is $100-150 for each)
- Souvenirs – there really isn’t much in the way of shopping but we can visit the local fabric shop then arrange for a local tailor to make tote or toiletry bags to take home!
For all tips, food and drinks, £400 is usually more than enough for the average traveller.
If you have space in your bag, we always really appreciate women bringing donations for the families on the island who are most in need. Most valuable are second-hand children’s clothes and shoes, reusable nappies and sanitary products and school supplies (notebooks, pens and school bags).
Costs & Departures
2026 Dates:
12th – 21st Oct 2026 – *3 Spaces Left
22nd – 31st Oct 2026 – Fully Booked
1st – 10th Nov 2026 – Fully Booked
11th – 20th Nov 2026 – Fully Booked
21st – 30th Nov 2026 – Fully Booked
1st – 10th Dec 2026 – New Departure
2027 dates:
6th – 15th Nov 2027
16th – 25th Nov 2027
From £2,290 (private en-suite room)
This expedition is operated by a trusted, UK-licensed tour operator, Inspired Ventures, providing full financial protection and compliance with UK travel regulations. All bookings are handled securely through Inspired Ventures, who are responsible for the administration of payments, booking conditions, and customer protection. Booking terms and conditions.
