The Mnarani Marine Turtle Conservation Pond — everyone just calls it the Mnarani aquarium — is a natural lagoon in the coral rock beside the Nungwi lighthouse (mnara means tower in Swahili). It was set up by the village to look after sea turtles caught in fishing nets or found injured, and to release them back to the ocean once they are ready.
It is small and simple — a pool filled and emptied by the tide, a few smaller tanks and an information board — but it is a genuine community project, and the entrance fee goes back into it. Visitors can wade in and feed the turtles seaweed under supervision.
Top things to do at Mnarani Turtle Aquarium
Feed and swim with the turtles
Staff hand out seaweed for you to feed the turtles in the main pool. Green turtles are the usual residents, sometimes with hawksbills. Be gentle, keep your hands away from their mouths and follow the guides’ instructions.
Combine it with the lighthouse and dhow yard
The aquarium sits right at Ras Nungwi, so it fits naturally into a morning walk: the dhow builders on the beach, the lighthouse, then the turtles. A guided village tour links all three.
How to get to Mnarani Turtle Aquarium
- On foot: 10–20 minutes along the beach north-east from the centre of Nungwi’s west beach, round the lighthouse point.
- From Kendwa: a short tuk-tuk ride, or book a guided half-day trip with pickup.
Insider tips
- Go at or near high tide, when the pool is full and the turtles are most active.
- Bring small cash for the entrance fee; card payments may not be accepted.
- Visits are short — plan around 30–45 minutes on site.
Best tours & tickets for Mnarani Turtle Aquarium
These top-rated experiences are the easiest way to see Mnarani Turtle Aquarium from Nungwi or Kendwa:
Wildlife from $55 Zanzibar: Nungwi Turtle Aquarium Guided Half-Day Trip
A guided visit to the Mnarani turtle pond at Ras Nungwi, a natural rock pool where the village looks after sea turtles caught in fishing nets and releases them back to the ocean. Short, easy and a big hit with children.
- Swim with rescued green and hawksbill turtles
- Visit the natural tidal lagoon beside the Nungwi lighthouse
- Walk the beach at the northern tip of Zanzibar
Cultural walk from $55 Nungwi Village Tour & Swim with Turtles at Mnarani Aquarium
The one tour that shows you the village behind the resorts: the fish market, the boatbuilders shaping dhows by hand on the sand, and the lanes where people actually live. Ends at the turtle pond by the lighthouse. New listing with few reviews so far.
- Fish market and the beach dhow-building yard
- Everyday life in Nungwi village with a local guide
- Finish with the turtles at Mnarani
