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Mozambique Marine Life PDF Print E-mail
Manta rays: Manta Rays have a diamond disc shape with lobe-like extensions around the mouth. They have been found as large as 5 meters and are the largest of the ray species. They move gracefully and are harmless unless harassed. You can have the opportunity to scuba dive with them at Manta Reef (Tofu) as they come here for the cleaning stations. Manta Rays feed on plankton, pelagic fish and crustaceans. Whilst most manta rays are solitary they can be found swimming in small groups.

Turtles: There are five species of turtle with the most commonly encountered green turtle, leatherback turtle and loggerhead turtle in the warm subtropical waters of Mozambique. Resembling g the tortoise, flippers replace the legs and they move with unexplainable ease amongst the reefs. The leatherback turtle can grow as large as 3 meters in length and weigh up to 900 kg. In summer (October-February), the turtles come ashore at night to dig holes and lay their precious eggs. Unfortunately, they are easy prey to humans and are thus protected against poaching - legislation which is difficult to enforce due to lack of local resources.   

Whale Shark: Average Length 12m/Weight 18tThese gentle giants are the largest fish in our oceans. They are filter feeders often found cruising near the surface with their 2m wide mouths ajar. Quite rare today they are protected in many countries, however they are still hunted in parts of the world. They are found cruising the couast off Mozambique on their migrations and throughout summer. Best times to view these gentle giants is late October to early December and then again from late February to early April. They are seen in lesser numbers throughout the entire summer season as well.

Dugong: "They're similar to the Florida manatee. They're about two to three metres (between six and 10 feet) long, about 400 kg (880 lb). They have a lot of meat on them, and they have breasts on the front of their bodies like human females and that's possibly why the mermaid legends have been created," McIntyre said.These wonderous creatures today are extremely rare but are found on areas of the Mozambique coast. They have long life spans and low reproductive rates investing alot of time into each young this combined with many other factors has led to their decline.

Humpback WhalesAverage Length 16m/Weight 40tOften seen off the coast of Mozambique and South Africa from mid June to mid October they move up into the warmer waters to calve. During August and September there is a good chance of seeing mother and calf. They are dark grey with lighter shades around the chin, throat and flukes. The pointed snout is generally covered in fleshy knobs. They often travel in pods of 5 to 10 members. Their primary foods are Krill and small fish such as mackeral and sardines.


Dolphins Like the whale they breath air, suckle their young and have back bones. Apart from siza the major difference is the more developed brain in the dolphin. Off the coast of Southern Africa there are a variety of dolphin species to be found. The more commonly seen though are the Bottlenose and Common Dolphins.The different dolphin species have differing features and dimensions. The Bottlenose Dolphin grows up to 3.5m in length and weighs up to 450kg, while the Common Dolphin averages 2.5m in length and weighs only 150kg.Found in most temperate to tropical waters of the world year round Southern Africa is no different.

Morays :Length Up To 3mMoray encompasses a large family of elongated fish or eels. A variety of this family group are found in the waters of Southern Africa. They inhabit coral and inshore reefs. They generally lurk in caves or crevices waiting for prey to come by. Octopus is the prefered diet though other types of fish also fall prey. Not often seen out of their caves or crevices during the day they will venture out to explore at night. Seaon is year round
 
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