Dhows
In the harbour.
FredD — CC BY-SA 3.0 · rcrhee — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Victor Ochieng — CC BY-SA 2.0 · FredD — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Knyn wndr — CC BY-SA 4.0
Wasini Island lies in the Indian Ocean off Kenya's southeast coast, 3 km offshore and 75 km south of Mombasa, opposite the harbour of Shimoni village. It is about 7 km long and 3 km wide. The island has only paths of sharp old coral or sand: there are no cars, carts or bicycles, and goods are carried on foot, by wheelbarrow or by boat. About 3,000 people live there, in the villages of Wasini and Mkwiro on the south coast and a small hamlet inland, speaking their own Swahili dialects as well as standard Swahili. Clear turquoise water surrounds the island, breaking on dark coral edges topped by green trees and shrubs, and wooden dhows lie moored in its harbour. At low tide coral flats appear, dotted with strangely shaped coral formations. Visitors arrive by boat from Shimoni, walk through the villages and the «coral garden» trail, eat seafood, and many combine it with a snorkelling trip to the nearby Kisite marine park to see dolphins.
In the harbour.
At low tide.
Fresh.
Off Shimoni, south Kenyan coast
By boat from Shimoni.
Kisite marine park.