Pemba has an amazing natural environment. Tall trees full of fruits: papaya, cloves, tamarind, jackfruit, mangoes, limes and oranges all grow in abundance. The seas are rich with good fish, and the soil is fertile enough to grow basic vegetables: potatoes, tomatoes, onions and rice.

Paradise? Even this little island struggles to regulate use of land and resources, and if not organised, some practices could do a lot of harm.

The use of charcoal for cooking for example is a threat to many of the tall trees: for charcoal you cut trees, only to burn them. Coral rag stones and lime stone are gained in a very destructive way: hacking out big blocks from coastal strips of coral, then building a mound out of layers of stones and slow burning, smouldering wood. This is left to smoulder for weeks, until the end product limestone is produced. It causes coastal zone erosion, loss of land and stabilizing materials (soil and seeds blow away, and water has more grip on the coast strip when hacking away coral layers). The wood used for the mound is a tall, slow-growing tree; cutting leads to loss of soil, root material and shade (shade is needed to grow other crops or smaller bushes), and leaves the surface too exposed for rainwater to penetrate.

Certain fishing techniques can be very damaging to coral and fish life: killing juvenile fish, net fishing on the reef, and the dynamite fishing practiced of the coast of mainland Tanzania .  

The government of Zanzibar has the jurisdiction for both islands concerning these issues, and has tried to establish a system of laws to protect the islands marine habitats. The lack of infrastructure and a feeble exercising of these laws mean that knowledge remains poor, and these practices continue to do a great deal of harm..

As visitors we can do various things: when diving, do NOT damage the reefs, do NOT take anything (anything) with you from reefs or beaches, and leave no waste behind. When on a trip around the island, do not pick any flowers, trees, or drop any waste. Do not accept any plastic bags in the market: bring your own, or reuse them. There is no garbage collecting system on Pemba . Be very careful with your fresh water use: the island has little, and animals and trees need it as much as you do.

Swahili Divers also does its best to be an eco-friendly establishment. Our waste is separated, and used for manure. A rain water catchment system is under review, but this needs to be safe and clean: standing water in the tropics is an ideal environment for all kinds of small, unwelcome creatures. We divide our cooking between charcoal and electric, to save charcoal and therefore trees. Rather then spraying our garden with heavy chemicals, we cut our banana trees regularly to keep the mosquitos at bay. The locally produced lemongrass oil is available for those who still find mozzies. Our wood is treated with a very simple product to keep the termites and woodworm away: we re-use our old compressor oil, and soak the wood ends in this. As there is no waste colleting system in Pemba , we might as well make the most use of what ever waste we produce ourselves. Finally, we are looking into solar systems for our water heaters.

As a Dive Resort, we support the Marine Reserve of Misali Island. Various NGO projects have been suggested during the last few years to educate the fishermen and prevent the setting of nets; so far no project has been set up, but Swahili Divers will support a healthy project as soon as it is available. The establishment of a no-fishing zone around Misali is a promising start, and the placement of permanent mooring markers for dive boats was done by local dive establishments. Sadly they have been taken out of the water for unknown reasons. When our customers do fish, we allow them only to catch enough for dinner, while juveniles are put back into the water immediately.

Being an eco-friendly establishment also means finding ways to support a community, and to help them find alternative sources of income. We employ 32 people in total, who are mainly sole providers for their families. Slowly, we are trying to promote women on the job.

As for our visitors, soon Swahili Divers Mangrove Tours in co-operation with the local coastal villages will be available for small groups. These will visit the mangroves at sunrise or sunset to watch the bird life, and already Bird Watching tours to the North are available. Walking Day Trips are also being developed, to offer visitors a responsible insight on rural Pemba life and the island's terrestrial natural treasures.

As conscientious divers, we try to educate our guests about the marine life they see during their dives. Luckily Pemba ’s reefs still rate as some of the healthiest reefs around the world. After the El Nino period, our reefs have recuperated astonishingly well, and reef life is still abundant.