Zanzibar Channel

Strait in Tanzania

06°00′S 39°00′E / 6.000°S 39.000°E / -6.000; 39.000Ocean/sea sourcesIndian OceanBasin countriesTanzaniaMax. length110 km (68 mi)Max. width37 km (23 mi)^[1]IslandsUnguja (Zanzibar)

The Zanzibar Channel is a strait in south-eastern Africa, separating the island of Unguja (also known as Zanzibar) from mainland Tanzania. The channel is 120 km long and 29–37 km wide, with depth varying from a few dozen metres (in the centre) to a few hundred metres to the north and to the south. The channel is entirely located in Tanzanian territorial waters. ^[2] In ancient times the overall depth of the channel has been considerably smaller (about 120 m less during the last ice age).^[2]

The southern entrance to the Channel is indicated by a lighthouse located on the mainland coast on the Ras Kanzi promontory, 22 km south of Dar es Salaam.^[3]

Swimming

In 2015, the 29 km solo swim across the Zanzibar Channel starting at the Pungume Sandbank was completed in 9 hrs 1 minute by Jean Craven (SA), Robert Dunford (Kenya), Megan Harrington Johnson (SA), Samantha Whelpton (SA) and Emil Berning (SA) ^[4]

References

^ Google Earth
^ ^a ^b Sediment Distribution and Transport in the Zanzibar Channel
^ Rowlett, Russ. "Lighthouses of Tanzania". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
^ "First ever group crossing of the Swahili Channel".