Volunteering with Underwater Africa: My Manta Ray Story in Mozambique

If you are looking for an experience that blends scuba diving in Mozambique, meaningful science, and moments that quite literally take your breath away, volunteering with Underwater Africa might just change your life the way it changed mine. I arrived in Mozambique with a suitcase, a notebook, and a vague hope of “helping the ocean.” I left with salt permanently in my veins, a deeper understanding of marine conservation in Mozambique, and memories of manta rays so vivid they followed me in my dreams.

At the marine research volunteer program, I met so many like-minded people from all over: France, Italy, New Zealand, Canada, and realised I had found my people. This was about so much more than diving, it was about connection and taking a break to think about what really matters.

It was great to feel helpful and like we made a difference for the environment by collecting data on our dives. Our days started early—strong coffee, gear checks, and dive briefings filled with excitement and purpose. After dives, we learned all about species identification, manta ray behavior, and how our observations contribute to marine megafauna research in the region. You’re not just watching the ocean here: you’re actively helping protect it! And you live by the ocean's tides and wind patterns, really becoming a part of the environment.

Of course my camera's battery ran out before the mantas came so enjoy my third favourite fish we saw on the dive: the juvenile angelfish!

Each dive had intention. Logging sightings, noting behavior, and recording environmental conditions made every dive feel important. Mozambique’s waters are alive in a way that’s hard to describe until you see it yourself. Reef fish swirl like confetti, the wilderness is at your fingertips, the ocean shows off its depths , and there’s always a sense that something extraordinary could appear at any moment. And then, one day, it did.

The visibility was excellent that morning, and the dive felt calm, almost meditative as I focused on my breathing and the reef below. Then the light suddenly shifted, as if someone closed a curtain. A shadow passed overhead. I looked up.

Not one, but TWO giant manta rays were gliding toward us!

They were enormous, elegant, and completely unbothered by our presence. Their wing-like fins moved slowly, effortlessly, as they circled above and around us. I felt impossibly small—and incredibly lucky. One manta passed so close I could clearly see the markings on its belly, a reminder that each individual is unique and known to researchers through photo-identification.

This wasn’t just a manta ray encounter, it was a moment of connection with something deep in the ocean. Like that scene in Moana where she is visited by grandma's ghost in the form of a manta. I felt like a Disney princess.

Back on the boat, the excitement was contagious and we all high fived and talked about the exhilarating experience. But what made the experience even more powerful was knowing that the data we collected from that dive helps understand the mantas better. Where do they go, why do they come to Mozambique, what are they feeding on? Our manta sightings were logged, photographed, and added to ongoing studies helping researchers better understand manta ray movement and habitat use in Mozambican waters.

That’s the magic of this scuba diving volunteer program, you meet unforgettable people, share incredible moments both in and out of the water, and you make a real-world impact as you do it.

Volunteering with Underwater Africa gave me perspective, purpose, and a profound respect for the ocean. It reminded me that conservation isn’t something abstract. It’s personal. It happens one dive, one data sheet, one manta ray at a time. If you’re passionate about the ocean, curious about science, and dreaming of scuba diving in Mozambique while making a difference, this experience is worth every second.

Some dives are memorable.Some experiences stay with you forever.