MIGRATION INTELLIGENCE
East Africa Wildlife Calendar
When to see what, where, and what your odds actually are. Updated by Tim Hennig from Zanzibar — not from a desk in London.
Quick Reference
Whale Sharks Mafia
Oct–Feb (peak: Nov–Jan)
Wildebeest Migration Grumeti
May–Aug (peak: Jun–Jul)
Wildebeest Migration Mara
Jul–Oct (peak: Aug–Sep)
Wildebeest Calving Ndutu
Dec–Mar (peak: Jan–Feb)
Dolphins Zanzibar
Year-round (best: Oct–Mar, calm Indian Ocean)
Green Turtle Zanzibar
Year-round (nesting: Oct–Mar)
Humpback Whales Tanzania
Jul–Sep (passing migration)
Best Kitesurf Zanzibar
Jun–Sep (SE trade winds)
Best Snorkel Zanzibar
Oct–Mar (calm, clear water)
Vietnam Best Weather
Nov–Apr (dry season nationally, varies by region)
Month by Month
Zanzibar: warm (30°C), calm, ideal marine. Serengeti: green and wet, dramatic cloud skies, few tourists. Mara: dry season, good game but no migration.
Highlights
Whale Shark
mafia island
Peak month alongside December–February
Wildebeest Calving
serengeti south ndutu
Calving season begins. Highest predator density in Africa
Green Sea Turtle
zanzibar mnemba
Nesting season, feeding on seagrass
Indo Pacific Bottlenose Dolphin
zanzibar menai bay
Calm seas, best water clarity
Best month in Zanzibar for marine activities. Best month for calving plains game in southern Serengeti.
Highlights
Whale Shark
mafia island
Still peak season
Wildebeest Calving
serengeti south ndutu
Peak calving — up to 8,000 calves per day
Cheetah
serengeti south
Cheetah hunting calves — best cheetah observation month
Green Sea Turtle
zanzibar mnemba
Transition month. East Africa rains begin. Best marine window closing for Zanzibar.
Highlights
Wildebeest Migration
serengeti central
Herds begin northward movement — early migration
Indo Pacific Bottlenose Dolphin
zanzibar menai bay
Seas turning choppier — early mornings still good
⚠ Avoid Zanzibar liveaboard/snorkelling from mid-March — Indian Ocean swells increase
⚠ Avoid Mara — wettest month, most lodges in low-season rates
Shoulder/low season for most East Africa. Dramatic green landscapes but logistics harder.
Highlights
Migrant Birds
serengeti
Hundreds of Palearctic migrants before departing to Europe
⚠ Avoid Zanzibar marine — heavy rain, rough Indian Ocean, reduced visibility
Good transition month. Rains easing. Prices still low in most camps.
Highlights
Wildebeest Migration
serengeti north
Migration concentrating before Grumeti River crossing
Bird Watching
zanzibar
Over 200 recorded species. Endemic species best before full dry season
Best safari month for Serengeti (Grumeti migration + excellent game). Zanzibar east coast marine activities reduced.
Highlights
Wildebeest Migration
serengeti western corridor
Grumeti River crossings begin. Most dramatic and least crowded migration spectacle
African Lion
serengeti
Dry season: short grass, easier sighting. Pride interaction during migration
Hippopotamus
serengeti grumeti river
Concentrated in river pools during dry season
⚠ Avoid Zanzibar snorkelling — SE monsoon makes Indian Ocean choppy on east coast
Peak safari season for Mara migration and Serengeti. Book 12+ months ahead. Zanzibar east coast marine limited but kitesurf excellent.
Highlights
Wildebeest Migration
masai mara
First herds crossing into Mara from Serengeti. River crossings from mid-July
African Lion
masai mara
Lion prides follow migration — highest lion viewing density of the year
Humpback Whale
southern tanzania coast
Migrating past Tanzania coast on way north from Southern Ocean
Kitesurfing
zanzibar paje
Peak trade winds 18–25 knots. Beginner to advanced conditions
The single best month for East Africa wildlife. Most expensive. Book extremely early.
Highlights
Wildebeest Migration
masai mara
PEAK. Multiple river crossings per day possible. Best photography conditions
African Lion
masai mara
Highest concentration of predators following migration
Humpback Whale
southern tanzania coast
Peak passage month through Tanzania waters
Leopard
serengeti seronera
Dry season: excellent leopard sighting in Seronera woodland
⚠ August is most expensive month in Masai Mara. Book 12–18 months ahead for premium camps
Good second choice to August for migration. Cheaper, often same sighting quality. Vietnam central coast at its best.
Highlights
Wildebeest Migration
masai mara
Still excellent. Crossings continuing. Slightly fewer tourists than August
Green Sea Turtle
zanzibar mnemba
Post-monsoon: ocean settling, turtles returning to feeding grounds
Excellent month for Zanzibar marine — ocean calming from monsoon. Whale shark season starting. Short rains add dramatic skies to safari.
Highlights
Whale Shark
mafia island
Season opens. Numbers building from October
Green Sea Turtle
zanzibar mnemba
Nesting season begins
Indo Pacific Bottlenose Dolphin
zanzibar menai bay
Indian Ocean calming — ideal dolphin encounter conditions returning
Underrated month. Marine conditions excellent in Zanzibar, whale sharks peaking at Mafia, Serengeti dramatic.
Highlights
Whale Shark
mafia island
Season peak building — best month alongside December
Green Sea Turtle
zanzibar mnemba
Nesting + hatchlings
Indo Pacific Bottlenose Dolphin
zanzibar menai bay
Wildebeest Calving
serengeti south ndutu
First calves beginning late November in good rain years
Best month for whale sharks at Mafia Island. Zanzibar marine excellent. Serengeti building to calving season.
Highlights
Whale Shark
mafia island
PEAK season — December–January highest probability
Green Sea Turtle
zanzibar mnemba
Active nesting
Wildebeest Calving
serengeti south ndutu
Early calves arriving on the southern plains
⚠ December Masai Mara prices peak at Christmas/NYE — often 50–100% premium