Abstract
Mafia has been a port on the monsoon trade routes from the Arabia to Sofala for almost 2000 years. The Island has not changed significantly since ancient times and retains a traditional culture of fishing and subsistence agriculture. By 1991, development of tourism on the Island seemed very slow. Factors limiting the number of visitors include lack of adequate travel connections between the island and the mainland, and inadequate and poor hotel services. Currently, accessibility to Mafia Island has improved. Mafia Island can now be reached by air in addition to the traditional sea travel. However, the Island does not have proper harbour facilities for coastal shipping. There are two areas, which have been under consideration for harbour development, namely Kilindoni and Utende. Kilindoni has the advantage of being near to the administrative centre and storage facilities, but the deepwater anchorage is about 1 kilometre offshore, which makes transshipment of cargo or the building of a jetty necessary. The Utende site has the advantage of having deep water adjacent to the beach, but the construction of the harbour will involve blasting and dredging, operations which may destroy the environment and cause pollution. The site is considered hydrographically suitable, as there are strong currents at the entrance to Chole Bay as well as the anchorage in Chole Channel. This study assessed shoreline dynamics and collected information on near-shore sediments, currents, waves and beach profiles off Utende Beach, which can be used by potential investors in harbour development and tourism. The methodology included visual observation and field measurements. Results showed that, although tidal currents gush in and out of Chole Bay reaching ebbing speeds of 2.5 m/s and flooding speeds of 1.5 m/s during spring tides, they are nevertheless not a threat to harbour or jetty construction. Upon reaching the bay, the currents are diffracted and lose momentum such that near-shore waves and currents are not significant
Recommended Citation
Dubi, A. (2004). Hydrographic Aspect of Chole Bay, Mafia Island. Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET), 27(2), 1-9. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.52339/tjet.v27i2.348
Publisher Name
University of Dar es Salaam