WISDOM OF WHALE SHARKS
YOGA RETREAT
A retreat of peace, balance & gentle expansion
4 - 11 December 2026 | Mafia Island, Tanzania
Join our 8 Day Whale Shark Retreat
4 - 11 December 2026
AWAKEN THE PEACE WITHIN & RETURN TO YOUR OCEANIC FLOW
Rebalance your energy and reconnect with your deepest wisdom through immersive yoga, pranayama, meditation and serene encounters with the gentle giants of the sea. This retreat invites you into profound stillness, inner harmony and heart-opening presence, supported by the ancient, peaceful frequency of the whale sharks.
Breathe deeply, move softly, and allow the ocean to bring you home.
Let the ocean soothe you. Let the giants guide you. Step into your peaceful power.
MAFIA ISLAND - TANZANIA
Earthy & Ancestral Grounding
Mafia Island holds a unique blend of earthy grounding, oceanic serenity, and deep spiritual clarity. Rooted in Tanzania’s ancestral frequency, the island carries the heartbeat of the land and the gentle rhythm of traditional Swahili culture. Its simplicity naturally realigns you with what truly matters, evoking a profound sense of belonging, humble gratitude, and reconnection to the earth.
Oceanic Serenity & Feminine Flow
Surrounded by warm turquoise waters, vibrant coral gardens, and soft tides, the island radiates a soothing, feminine, aquatic energy that invites you into slow living, inner quiet, and tender self-holding. Here the ocean feels like an embrace, calming your system and guiding you back to your centre.
Spiritual Clarity & Gentle Transformation
Because Mafia Island is quiet and remote, there is very little energetic “noise,” creating the perfect environment for spiritual clarity, emotional release, deep meditation, and intuitive reconnection. Many describe its frequency as cleansing, clarifying, and gently transformative, a sanctuary where you naturally return to your truth.
Connect to the Wisdom & Energy of Whale Sharks
Whale sharks carry a gentle, ancient energy, one that softens the heart, calms the mind, and deepens your connection to the sacred. Often called the “peaceful giants” of the ocean, their presence radiates a slow, graceful rhythm that naturally encourages you to breathe more deeply, feel more fully, and move through the world with ease.
Their energy is expansive yet grounding, inviting you to open your heart while staying anchored in your body. Swimming beside them feels like entering a temple of stillness, where time slows, your nervous system relaxes, and a quiet sense of awe awakens within you.
Whale sharks are symbolic of inner wisdom, gentle strength, and intuitive flow. They move through the vast ocean with effortless trust, teaching you to surrender, let go of resistance, and follow your own natural rhythm. Many describe encounters with them as deeply healing, heart-opening, and transformative, an experience that reconnects you to your own inner peace that has always lived within.
Daily Yoga, Pranayama & Meditation
Each day begins with a yoga, pranayama, and meditation practice designed to help you connect deeply with your body and breath. As you move through each pose, focus on your breath, and surrender to the present moment, you will cultivate a profound connection to your inner self, leaving you feeling grounded, revitalized, and open hearted to meet the Whale Sharks.
5 Days of Whale Shark Swimming
After our gentle morning yoga practice, we will enjoy a nourishing breakfast before heading out for our daily whale shark snorkelling adventure. Travelling by boat across the turquoise waters of Mafia Island, we move with patience and reverence, waiting until we find whale sharks that are ethically safe to swim with and meet all conservation requirements. Only then do we enter the water, ensuring each encounter honours both nature and the wellbeing of these magnificent beings.
Mafia Island, Tanzania, is one of the most magical places in the world to meet whale sharks in their natural habitat. Between October and March, these graceful filter-feeders gather to enjoy the rich plankton blooms, creating the perfect opportunity to observe them in the wild. Our experienced guides lead the way as you slip into the ocean to snorkel alongside them—an unforgettable moment of awe, humility, and connection. If you prefer, you may also enjoy watching them from the boat as their speckled backs glide just beneath the surface.
Gentle Giants
Whale sharks are the largest fish on the planet, yet they are completely harmless to humans. They move with an extraordinary calmness, feeding only on plankton and small fish. Being in their presence is often described as deeply grounding and humbling.
The Activity
During each excursion, you will snorkel beside these magnificent creatures while supported by our trusted local guides. The boat stays close, allowing you to rest, observe from above, or return to the water whenever you feel ready.
Code of Conduct
We follow strict ethical guidelines to ensure the safety and protection of the whale sharks. This includes maintaining respectful distance, never touching the animals, and entering the water only when conditions are right for both you and the sharks.
Duration
Half day trip, although timing may vary depending on weather, sightings and sea conditions. Every outing holds its own magic, some slow and meditative, others filled with multiple encounters.
Ceremony, Breathwork, Heart Expansive Activations
Through intentional embodiment practices, you will be guided to connect more deeply with your body’s innate wisdom. Using breath-work, intuitive movement, and the nourishing medicine of ceremonial Cacao and the Baobab Ceremony, you will awaken the light within—inviting greater clarity, presence, and the courage to live from the heart.
Breathwork supports the release of stored tension and emotional blockages, creating space for your true essence to bloom. Our cacao ceremony, a gentle heart-opening ritual, helps you tap into your intuition and inner guidance.
Baobab is considered the Tree of Life in Eastern Africa. The grounding Baobab Ceremony invites you to drink from the heart of the land, soften into presence and reconnect with the wisdom your body has always carried. As we root ourselves in Earth medicine and open to the rhythm of the ocean, the ceremony becomes a bridge between land and sea, preparing us to meet the graceful whale sharks with clarity, reverence and an open heart.
Together, these practices open a doorway to deeper self-awareness and spiritual alignment, allowing wisdom to flow effortlessly from within.
Our Magic Seaside Stay
Nestled along a quiet stretch of white-sand beach, your new home away from home offers a serene and intimate sanctuary where the ocean greets you each morning and sunsets feel painted just for you. Charming bungalows are thoughtfully designed with comfort and simplicity in mind, creating a cosy space to unwind and soften into island life. This peaceful seaside haven is the perfect environment for you to reset your nervous system, find stillness, and sink into the island’s naturally calming energy. Surrounded by warm hospitality, fresh seasonal food, and the magic of untouched coastline, you’ll feel held, restored, and completely at ease.
There are both shared and single occupancy room options, and all rooms come equipped with air-conditioning for your comfort.
Included
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7 nights accommodation in air-conditioned rooms
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Airport Transfers and all transport for scheduled activities
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Daily breakfast, light lunch and 3 course dinner; unlimited drinking water and tea
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Five Morning Whale Shark swims
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One full-day Mange Sandbank Trip, including snorkelling and lunch
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Pranayama and conscious breath-work sessions
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Transformational Activations & Workshops
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Daily Yoga or Movement Practices
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Cacao Ceremony
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Baobab Ceremony
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Complimentary use of kayaks
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Special Goodie Bag
Not Included
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Flights & Visa
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Travel Insurance and Travel Expenses
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Spa Treatments
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Additional Scuba Diving & Activities
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Tips
Pricing (per person)
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Single Sea View: €2950
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Single Garden View: €2750
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Twin Garden View: €2500
Payment plans available.
Reserve your spot with a €500 deposit.
EARLY BIRD OFFER
Valid until 31 March 2026
€200 off
Use discount code WHALE at checkout
How to get to Mafia Island
1) Fly to Dar es Salaam (International Airport)
Most international visitors will first arrive at Julius Nyerere International Airport (DAR) in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
This is the main gateway to Mafia Island and is well connected with flights from Europe, the Middle East and various African countries.
2) Take a Short Domestic Flight to Mafia Island
From Dar es Salaam, take a 30–40 minute domestic flight to
Mafia Island Airport, also known as Kilindoni Airport (MFA).
Airlines operating daily flights:
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Coastal Aviation
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Auric Air
These are small scenic flights that land directly on Mafia Island.
3. Transfer to Your Accommodation
After landing on Mafia Island, you’ll be greeted at the airport and transferred to your accommodation. Our location is approximately 15 minutes from the airport.
Optional Route: Via Zanzibar
You can also reach Mafia Island by flying from Zanzibar (ZNZ).
This is a great option if you'd like to combine your trip with another beach holiday or cultural stay before or after the retreat. Flights from Zanzibar to Mafia take around 30–50 minutes.
YOUR HOSTS
Karin Schulte
Karin Schulte loves to co-create magic with fellow souls on the path. She facilitates events with elements of Yin Yoga, somatic and intuitive movement, Sound Journeys, and energy alignment. Karin is devoted to holding spaces where people can return to inner stillness, reconnect with their bodies, and experience the gentle power of deep presence. A lover of silence and going within, she finds as much fulfilment in quiet introspection as she does in connecting and sharing transformative experiences with others.
The ocean has been one of her greatest teachers. Time spent close by, in, and under the water is among her favourite meditative practices where she feels spacious and deeply attuned to life itself. In 2024 Karin hosted a yoga retreat in Zanzibar, which strengthened her love for facilitating retreats by the ocean. In 2025 she attended a Swimming with Dolphins retreat with Maja in Egypt, a transformative experience that touched her profoundly on many levels and ultimately led to co-hosting this Swimming with Whale Sharks retreat with Maja. Her reverence for the ocean and its magnificent beings forms a core part of the retreat she now helps to create.
Karin’s journey has been shaped by inner exploration, resilience, and a sincere longing to live in alignment with her truth. Through sound, stillness, and intuitive energy work, she offers nurturing environments where others can soften, reset, and rediscover their inner light.
Maja Mika
Maja Mika is a yoga teacher, breathwork facilitator, author, and retreat creator devoted to guiding others on their path of inner healing and spiritual awakening. She is an ocean baby and a true lover of all marine beings, Maja feels most at home in the water. She has swum with dolphins many times and has previously shared the ocean with the majestic whale sharks; experiences that have deepened her connection to the sea and shaped the heart-centred retreats she now leads.
Her own journey began in a place of deep struggle, moving through depression, anxiety, and self-doubt in her youth. Through the transformative practices of yoga, breathwork, and introspective healing, she rebuilt her inner landscape and learned to live in alignment with her truth.
Maja’s mission is to remind others that they are the creators of their own lives, capable of rewriting their stories, embracing both shadow and light, and stepping fully into who they are meant to be. Through her grounded, compassionate presence, she creates nurturing spaces where individuals can reconnect with their bodies, regulate their nervous systems, and awaken their inner wisdom. A mermaid at heart, Maja brings the gentle, fluid, intuitive energy of the ocean into all her teachings. She believes that when we trust ourselves and tune into our natural rhythm, we access a profound sense of clarity, purpose, and inner peace.