In those early days the focus was to monitor and protect the turtles and to encourage the local people to fish sustainably. In 2006 the Vamizi Island Lodge, a sixteen-room small hotel, was opened by Nelson Mandela. Subsequently, Vamizi has established itself as one of the leading luxury island resorts in east Africa attracting guests including international scientific organisations and well known celebrities interested in the remote beauty of the island and the activities on offer including scuba diving and fishing.
The island has some of the best unspoilt coral reefs anywhere including ‘Neptune’s Arm’ which is considered to be one of the world’s top ten dive sites. In 2010 the first private villa was completed and now there are six large private villas on the island.
