Joanna James
The Two Mile is a kind of barrier reef that protects a tiny channel housed in between the Bazaruto Island and Benguuerra Island. To know about the marine life here, read on.
This reef can be found about 4.5 kilometres away from the shore, eastward. During the lower tides, you will be able to see the tip of the reef protruding from the waters. This is one of the most popular diving spots in the area as it has so much to offer to any traveller. If you are choosing to stay at accommodations belonging to an international hotel group the likes of Minor Hotels, make sure you pick a hotel that is close to the diving sites, mainly, North Point, Shark Point, The Boulders, Surgeon Rock, and Cathedral.
Home to various types of marine life, this reef is also home to some of the most colourful collection of soft and hard corals. You will also find anemonefish hiding within their homes, as they sway gently for the water's currents. The other kinds of reef fish you must keep an eye out for are the fusilier, coachman, surgeon and the snapper.
Huge pelagic and fish of the reef you can expect to see are the barracuda, kingfish, potato bass, guitarfish, honeycomb rays and the mantas. Mammoth eels also can be found lurking among their shady corners while blacktip reef sharks swim back and forth occasionally. Whale sharks and a few turtles will also delight the divers by making an appearance. A rare sighting is a dugong, as they are the shy creatures of the water, and if you do spot one on your dive, you definitely are lucky!
Most resorts have diving packages for their guests and utilizing this would be a good idea since they also come with pick up and drop to the dive locations. The diving packages usually cover for the gear, food, drink, water and transportation too.
If you are a beginner diver, take a short course at one of the diving schools in the area, and once you are ready to get into the water, make sure you stay close to your guide. After a few such tours underwater, you will be confident enough to explore a bit further, but strictly stay within the allowed area spoken for by the guides and learn the hand signals for danger before you head out too. As human beings, it is the duty of the people to leave no polluted imprints behind, thus, do not step on any corals, try your best to not damage any of the reefs and the seabed as a number of unseen species depend on it for their livelihood. Also, beware of cuts and scrapes you might get from the sharp-edged corals, as bleeding underwater might attract the bigger fish, and that is something you definitely do not want.
A true believer that the pen is a mighty weapon, ventures into reaching the minds of every reader with the earnest hope of leaving an indelible stream of thought.
A travel writer who has a pas...
