Mwaloni is Mwanza's main wholesale fish market and one of the most concentrated bursts of activity in the city. The dock is a few hundred metres south of the ferry terminal along the lake; from early morning onwards, dhows and motorised wooden boats arrive in waves, unloading the night's catch into plastic crates that disappear up the slope into the market sheds. The dominant fish is the Nile perch — a non-native introduced into Lake Victoria in the 1950s, now the basis of a vast industrial export industry to Europe.
The smell is intense, the noise is intense, the bargaining is intense. Photographers love it; everyone else either loves or hates the experience equally. Best visited between 6 and 10 in the morning, when the boats are still coming in. Watch your footing — the floor is permanently wet — and your pockets — the crowd is one of Mwanza's denser. Ask before photographing individuals.