Farhat Jah, known as "Raf" to his friends, first came to Pemba while driving a Land Rover from London to Cape Town. He was so taken by the beauty of the Islands that he knew straight away that he wanted to work here. Raf has a degree in politics, which he says comes in very useful for those evening chats on the balconies, watching the sun go down. Though his heritage is heavily Turkish (and slightly Indian) he has lived in London all his life and has trained in the English Channel and Atlantic Ocean. Having found Pemba he now makes a point of not diving in any location that requires a drysuit!  Raf loves taking pictures, many of which appear on this website.  If you are interested in seeing more, have a look at www.farhatjah.com.

Cisca is a Dutch anthropologist with a speciality in marine anthropology. After spending a year in a Namibian village studying fishermen who lost their lake, she returned to Amsterdam to get her masters degree. Then she came to Zanzibar to live in yet another primitive village watching fishermen and women who had a very large sea and very small boats. On a weekend away from the dust and straw roofs she met Raf in Zanzibar town. She invited herself along on one of Raf's trans-sahara crossings and they married three years later. (What is it about Landrovers and romance?) Cisca brings with her a feminine, European dimension to Swahili Divers and the Kervan Saray. She speaks fluent Dutch, English, German and Kiswahili and acts as the liaison between the Pemban and International staff.

Raf and Cisca travel for dive shows and the occasional expedition, but during the season they can be found in the Kervan Saray or the Swahili Divers Dive Base seven days a week ready to answer questions, help out, make tea or in Raf' s case lead dives.