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Bongoyo Island (or simply Bongoyo) is an uninhabited
Bongoyo Island (or simply Bongoyo) is an uninhabited island
An island (or isle) is an isolated piece of habitat that is surrounded by a dramatically different habitat, such as water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, skerries, cays or keys. An island ...
in Tanzania
Tanzania (; ), officially the United Republic of Tanzania ( sw, Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania), is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It borders Uganda to the north; Kenya to the northeast; Comoro Islands and ...
, situated 2.5 km north of the country's largest city, Dar es Salaam
Dar es Salaam (; from ar, دَار السَّلَام, Dâr es-Selâm, lit=Abode of Peace) or commonly known as Dar, is the largest city and financial hub of Tanzania. It is also the capital of Dar es Salaam Region. With a population of over s ...
. It is the most frequently visited of the four islands of the Dar es Salaam Marine Reserve
The Dar es Salaam Marine Reserve System (DMRS) is a group of marine wildlife reserves in Tanzania, situated off the coast of Dar es Salaam Region. The reserve system consists of nine uninhabited islands, four north of Dar es Salaam ( Bongoyo, Mb ...
(DMRS) and a popular daytrip for both tourists and Tanzanian residents alike for snorkelling and sunbathing.
The island lies close to the Msasani
Msasani is an administrative ward in the Kinondoni District of the Dar es Salaam Region of Tanzania. The ward is located north west of Dar es Salaam central business district. According to the 2002 census, the ward has a total population of 4 ...
Peninsula (in the Kinondoni
Kinondoni is one of five districts in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, others being Temeke, Kigamboni, Ubungo and Ilala (downtown Dar es Salaam). To the east is the Indian Ocean, to the north and west the Pwani Region of Tanzania. The area of Kinondo ...
district of the city) and is reachable by means of a 30-minute boat ride from the mainland. The point of departure for most visitors to the island is 'The Slipways' hotel complex on the western side of the Msasani Peninsula.
The island has a very rocky shore and only two beaches. All visitors visit the beach at the northwestern tip of the island, where the boats moor and where there are some huts, drinks and food. The much longer but narrower beach along the northeastern side has no facilities and is mostly deserted. The entire island (apart from the beaches) is covered in dense forest and has a few walking trails, so only a few people venture there. The terrain is somewhat treacherous with sharp rocks. In the middle of the island one finds the remains of a German colonial building at , clearly visible on Google Maps. The Indian Ocean has penetrated the northern shore of the island, creating a tidal lagoon along whose shores there are some mangroves
A mangrove is a shrub or tree that grows in coastal saline or brackish water. The term is also used for tropical coastal vegetation consisting of such species. Mangroves are taxonomically diverse, as a result of convergent evolution in several ...
.
See also
* Tanzania Marine Parks and Reserves Unit *List of protected areas of Tanzania
Protected areas in Tanzania are extremely varied, ranging from sea habitats over grasslands to the top of the Kilimanjaro, the tallest mountain in Africa. About a third of the country's total area is protected to a certain degree as a national p ...
External links
Geography of Dar es Salaam Uninhabited islands of Tanzania {{DaresSalaam-geo-stub