North from Pemba town, and running parallel to the Mozambique coast, are the 32 tiny coral islands of the Quirimbas Archipelago, a newly explored and incredibly remote scuba diving destination.

Medjumbe Island sits near the bottom of the Quirimbas chain as it stretches up towards the Rovuma River, which creates the border with Tanzania. Along with a vast area of mainland forest, the southernmost of these coral islands form the Quirimbas National Park. Flying overhead in a small aircraft reveals that there is virtually no human habitation. The tiny islands are breathtakingly beautiful – Medjumbe is a classic picture-postcard image of white sand beaches edged by a turquoise lagoon.

Scuba diving is definitely a new and growing sport right across the Quirimbas. To the east is the deep-water Mozambique channel that feeds these reefs. Hard corals are the main feature and they are pristine. Deeper wall dives are exciting with recessed caverns that shelter schools of pelagic fish, turtles and the giant Goliath grouper.