One of the highlights of my recent trip to Zanzibar was swimming with the friendly turtles at the Baraka Natural Aquarium on Nugwi Beach in the north of Zanzibar. The aquarium is actually a small natural pond – a grotto, which serves as a sanctuary for the turtles. The conservancy receives turtles which have been accidentally caught in fishing nets, and gives them a chance to recuperate before being released into the open ocean again. What really attracted me to this place was the fact that I would be be able to swim with these gentle animals. They come very close and it was a bit odd in the beginning to feel them brush up against me.  But once I got used to them, I even touched them myself – it was a wonderful experience and of course perfectly safe.  Its lovely to run your fingers over their shells and feel them next to you, although one of them nibbled my skin a little while trying to get to some sea weed I was sitting on – I was startled but it was really nothing serious or unusual.