Njazidja Channel

Ngazidja, the largest of the Comoro Islands, rises from the waters between East Africa and Madagascar. Its volcanic rock absorbs much of the rain, leaving few permanent streams, and its rocky shore offers little shelter to large vessels. Ships passing through the Mozambique Channel often followed the African coast and sighted the island's western shore. Smaller Swahili craft and ocean-going canoes connected the Comoros with their neighbours despite these difficult approaches.