We are proud to have an amazing dream team of professionals. Many of them have been with us for more than a decade. We love every one of them, and our shop would not be the same without them! These are the people who make Spanish Dancer a great place to be.
David
Owner
Nationality: Israeli
Speaks: Hebrew, English, Spanish, Swahili
David has been teaching diving since 2003. He arrived in Zanzibar many years ago, becoming the owner of Spanish Dancer Divers. Happy team and happy customers are his number one goals.
New gear, new boat or just improvements, he will obviously find something to invest in. David is also our webmaster. You might always find him busy, but he manages to take 4 months’ vacation a year to travel the world.
Gonzalo (Lalo)
Manager / PADI Instructor
Nationality : Spanish
Speaks : Spanish, English, French
As soon as he got his marine biology degree in Spain, Lalo decided to start a career in diving. Familiar with Zanzibar since he was a kid, he naturally joined Spanish Dancer Divers to enroll our divemaster internship.
Lalo was so enthusiastic and attentive with guests that we decided to hire him upon completing his course. He moved up to be a PADI instructor in 2018, and finally became a manager and part owner in 2020.
Passionate about sharks, he will always try to find one for you!
Susanne
Manager / PADI MSDT
Nationality: German
Speaks: German, English
Susanne spent many years diving and managing in different parts of the world, before joining us in 2021.
Always smiling, she will make you enjoy your dives while keeping safety as her number one priority. You will find her often at the reception, making the best diving plan for your holidays!
When Susanne is around, you can be sure that everything runs smoothly, relaxed, and well organized.
Mohammed (Mwachala)
PADI Divemaster
Nationality: Tanzanian
Speaks: Swahili, Spanish, English
Mohammed has been working with Spanish Dancer since 2007 and became a Divemaster in 2013. He loves diving and is officially the slowest moving Divemaster we ever had (underwater, that is). This makes him perfect for any of you underwater photography enthusiasts.
If there is any special creature in the area, Mohamed will be the first one to find it.
Maxi
PADI Instructor
Nationality: Argentinian
Speaks: English, Spanish
Maxi started his professional diving career in 2019 in Dominican Republic and fell in love with teaching! With a vibrant and outgoing personality, he always keeps busy diving or maintaining gear at the dive center.
After working and traveling to many countries for the past 10 years, Maxi has finally found his anchor in Zanzibar. He will not only teach you diving in the coolest way, he will be happy to take you also for a sunset drink to share with you his many past adventures!
Azizi
PADI Divemaster
Nationality: Tanzanian
Speaks: English, Swahili
Coming from Mt. Kilimanjaro for a family visit in Zanzibar, Azizi fell in love with diving. Showing talent and enthusiasm during his Divemaster internship, he naturally became a part of the Spanish Dancer family.
Young and with endless energy, he will be the first one ready to go diving! Put some music on the boat and witness his incredible dancing skills during your surface interval.
Haji
Boat Captain
Nationality: Tanzanian
Speaks: Swahili, English
Captain Haji has a natural GPS in his head. He can drop you off at any point on the reef, regardless of sea conditions.
Captain Haji has been a skipper with Spanish Dancer for almost two decades. He has a great knowledge of the tides, sea conditions and dive sites. For that reason, he is the first one we consult with if we are not sure about the dive plans.
Idi
Boat Captain
Nationality: Tanzanian
Speaks: Swahili, English
They say Captain Idi was born underwater. In fact, he can find almost anything in the ocean if you ask him nicely.
Idi has been a captain and a diver since childhood. He knows every reef in the area, both from above the surface and under.
Captain Idi has been skipping our boats since 2008. If you sing him a song (in any language), he will be singing it right back at you in no time at all.
Bilali
Boat Captain
Nationality: Tanzanian
Speaks: Swahili, English
Bilali is one of the most smiling persons in the dive center. Above all, he loves joking, and playing. He is always happy to speak with customers and provide them with the best service possible.
Bilali is a very motivated young man, and surely you will find him fixing something at the dive center if he is not on the boat. He recently discovered diving and he loves it. He is looking forward to getting some certifications.
Ali
Boat Crew / Compressor Specialist
Nationality: Tanzanian
Speaks: Swahili, English
Ali has been working for Spanish Dancers almost since the beginning. He has a natural smile, and it’s almost impossible to get on his bad side.
Ali is a very dedicated employee, and the clean, pure air you breathe at Spanish Dancer is due to his hard work and dedication.
Simai
Boat Crew / Compressor Operator
Nationality: Tanzanian
Speaks: Swahili
Simai has been with Spanish Dancer ever since the beginning. He is another dedicated member of the compressor team. You will also find him on the boat, and although he doesn’t say too much, he will make sure your tank is changed before you even notice.