Scuba diving was the only activity I HAD to do in Zanzibar. It’s been months since my last scuba dive — to an underwater airplane in Turkey — and I’m eager to get back in the water.

Diving isn’t cheap here — I scope out several companies who offer a full day trip (two dives) for around $120, which includes all equipment rental plus the fee to access Mnemba Atoll (the most popular dive and snorkel spot in Zanzibar). In the end I go with Spanish Dancer Divers because they have a speed boat that reaches Mnemba WAY faster than other companies, despite the similar overall price. It takes us maybe 40 minutes to go one-way instead of an hour and a half. Although the scenery is so pretty that a slow trip wouldn’t be so bad.

We pass a pod of dolphins!

The sun comes out briefly when we arrive at Mnemba — the water is stunning, definitely among the clearest I’ve ever seen.

My tour mate Robin from the Netherlands is also a diver.

In the water for my first dive… bring on the fish!

We make a slow and steady descent as we follow the tow line, stopping often to equalize the pressure in our ears.

I can’t get over the clarity of the water — my diving photos are not usually this clear. Visibility is excellent.

Our guide points out something below… I don’t see it at first, but then I get SUPER excited — it’s an octopus! I have never seen one underwater before. And I am completely fascinated by these creatures.

Here is a closer look — see how the octopus camouflages itself to blend in with its surroundings? It has the ability to change not only color, but also texture (!) to better disguise itself. This minute-long video shows the full effect — it will blow your mind. (Follow up viewing: this very funny and informative video about strange but true octopus facts. Trust me, you will not regret taking six minutes out of your day to watch this.)

And here is some footage I shot of the octopus encounter, plus other video highlights from this scuba trip… I highly recommend watching this because the octopus footage is mesmerizing. You’ll see it change color as it moves.

Did you notice the tube near the octopus’s head that kept appearing and then disappearing? That is its siphon, which plays an important part in respiration and helps with propulsion.

Here’s some more underwater photos from my GoPro (Hero 3+ edition). I’m quite impressed with its ability to capture underwater scenes; it’s a major improvement over the Hero 1 that I used on my RTW trip last year.

A pet peeve of mine: couples who hold hands while scuba diving. There is too much to see / do underwater to be tethered to another person, even if it’s a significant other!

I feel like a bad diver… I can’t recall the name of the fish below. I’ve seen this species in other places and love the detail on its back. Sometimes these fish are orange and turquoise, and they’re very shy.

A flat fish scampers over the sand, nearly blending in as well as the octopus.

An eel:

After our first dive we relax in the boat for our surface interval (the time out of water between two dives so that the body can off-gas nitrogen that was absorbed on the first dive).

The water is electric blue! That is a shade of water I haven’t seen before, and the sky is cloudy so I’m surprised the color pops this much.

My favorite photos from dive number two…

Check out this fish below, attempting to hide in the sand.

These garden eels pop up from the sand to say hi:

What a shell — I’ve never seen one like this before; it looks like there are zebra strips on the inside. My parents, who comb the shores of Cape Cod looking for the most unique shells, would be impressed.

These plants are the coolest things — bulbous, amorphous shapes that feel like silk.

This next fish reminds me of a lionfish, but it’s black and white instead of orange and white.

I thoroughly enjoyed diving in Zanzibar. Even if you are just a snorkeler, it’s a cool opportunity to experience undersea life on Zanzibar.

Thanks to Spanish Dancer Divers for discounting my trip in exchange for blogging. Opinions are my own.