Mafia Island
Along with the Rufiji River Delta on the western mainland of Tanzania and the expansive Indian Ocean on the east, Mafia Island has the distinction of hosting an incredible diversity of aquatic life, both flora, and fauna. The tepid, sheltered waters of the horseshoe-shaped bay are a superb habitat for an unbroken line of coral reef that houses an astonishing 460 species of fish.
This reef runs from Kifinge (Forbes Bay) on the north to Tutia in the
south. On shore, the coast is rich with forests of fruit trees,
mangroves, baobabs and palms that in turn host bushbabies, wild pigs,
small antelopes, monkeys and interestingly, small numbers of hippos, and
also varied tropical birds.
Accessible from mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar Island, Mafia features in
historical accounts of the 8th century that speak of the island being
used as a stopover by traders plying routes between Kilwa and Zanzibar,
and all the way to Madagascar and Mozambique. The Omani merchants called
it "Morfiyeh," meaning "collection" in relation to the archipelago
while the Swahili dubbed it "mahali pa afya" meaning "a healthy abode."
The present day term, Mafia is a derivative of these names.