Aunt Anna looks for dugongs in Mozambique

Guest writer: Anna Nilsson Spets

The dream of seeing a dugong has been around for a long time, I'm doing google and throwing out threads here and there and hit on Mozambique. 

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Vilanculos is located in the south-east and can be reached via either Johannesburg (my choice) or Maputo.

The area is known for miles of beaches and good water. 

The Bazarutoarchipelago, WHERE the dugongs should live. I check in at Baobab beach backpackers. 

And sure enough, I am met with a gigantic baobab trees, Africa's most mythical plant. 

I will stay here for a while, my own turquoise-coloured hut matches the sea which is so close that I can jump there on one leg. 

The accommodation is a typical backpacker place, simple rooms or nice bungalows to stay in. My crawl space has a shared shower and toilet, mosquito net and fan. Food and bar are available on site, the menu is not very long but what is available tastes good. Many young people live here on their way somewhere in the world, I am by far the oldest and can be the grandmother of the whole bunch.  

The sea, yes... 28 degrees centigrade and I take the opportunity to glow when the tide is high. The beach is the gathering place for locals, they collect crabs and mussels, play football and hang out. 

The archipelago consists of a number of islands, not all of which are inhabited. Some are semi-private with luxury resorts that can be reached by speedboat or helicopter.  

I book an island tour with snorkelling and a picnic. Wavy, the visibility under the water is cloudy and getting into a boat when it is bobbing goes like that, I feel like the sea cow I am looking for. By the way, it was conspicuous by its absence, the pigeon. Sea cow. 

 Others were more interested in documenting themselves ... 

A few days later and with better weather, I try again. Boat trip to Santa Carolina, a real paradise island. In the middle of the open sea, the skipper shouts: DUGONG DUGONG ! My pulse rises, I look and look and see only waves, but then suddenly, a brownish grey blunt head looks up and next to it a small head. It happened so fast that I couldn't even get the camera up, 2 seconds dugong is better than 0. 

Santa Carolina is famous for one thing: its abandoned luxury hotel and associated buildings. The entire island is uninhabited. In the 50s, a Portuguese businessman built this hotel in typical art deco style. The Portuguese built another hotel in Vilanculos, the Dona Ana, named after his Mozambican wife. Here at the Santa Carolina the cream of the crop from all over the world gathered and it was here that Bob Dylan played the piano in the dining room and composed his song Mozambique.  

Then came the civil war, the hotel was banned from business and the island was not allowed to be visited. After some time, Dona Ana became a widow and lost ownership of the hotels. It is said that she gathered 40 or so magicians who cast a curse. The art deco hotel is sadly falling apart, the other hotel exists but that's it.  

Snorkelling, watching playing dolphins and swimming turtles.  

Vilanculos itself has little to offer, a small town with around 25,000 inhabitants. The daily market is visited, it starts to rain and everything is floating in mud and water. I snoop around in the fishing hall, waiting for the rain to stop, but it doesn't and I head home in the mud. 

The next day I make another visit to the market, which is a good way to see what people do for a living and learn about daily life. 

In this part of the country, people live on petty trade and fishing. 

And just like in all other (poor) countries, Coca Cola is BIG! 

Beyond the coastline and its posh resorts, ordinary life is extremely poor. Schooling is certainly free, but most children only spend a couple of years in school and then work at home or in the market. Children on the islands don't seem to go to school at all. 

Macilla Magic is a village co-operative worth a visit, the craftsmanship is high quality and much is made from recycled materials. The members of the co-operative work either at home or on site, the materials are free and they receive a share of the profits. 

The coast around Vilanculos is laid back, the place for those who need to rest, swim, snorkel and relax. The diving is supposed to be really good. 2 seconds dugong could have been a little longer, one might think. But dugong should definitely be in Sudan... I google and think about playing the lottery. 

Practicalities when travelling to Mozambique

• Flight: Via Johannesburg or Maputo. Johannesburg-Vilanculos 2 hours flight. 
• Accommodation: Budget accommodation Baobab backpackers, from 70 euros per night. Nice place, laid back, a bit out of town. Safety boxes. Decent wifi in the restaurant. 
• Visas: Yes, online or via embassy, VOA (visa on arrival) seems to work now. Invitation letter/ hotel booking needed. 
• Vaccine mm: Covid certificate in paper form or PCR test (currently, subject to change). Health care is not of European standard, follow vaccination advice. Yellow fever certificate necessary when entering from risk countries. Malaria risk. 
• Language: Portuguese, some English 
• Security: In this part of Mozambique safe, for other parts see UD's travel advice. 

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Anna Nilsson Spets

60+ year old lady with a lifelong love for Africa. Emigrated to Flanders in Belgium and works with plants on a daily basis. Writes, takes photos and tries to inspire others to budget travel on their own. Blogs on "Anna's mix" about travelling, work, plants, writing and much more.

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