This small town is known for its British colonial ruins and slave caves which are the focus of attraction for several community-based projects.

Therefore, it is no surprise that Kenya Wildlife Service's headquarters for the Kisite-Mpunguti Marine Protected Area is located in Shimoni.

In certain seasons, the aromatic smell of cloves permeates the evening calls to prayer in the town's two main mosques.

Additionally, the villagers are aware of the benefits behind the tourism industry and thus are often very gracious and welcoming to tourists.

However, the majority of the population still relies heavily upon traditional fishing, subsistence farming, and exploiting forest resources.

In the 1870s, British parliament was successful in convincing Barghash ibn Sa'id, the Sultan of Zanzibar, to acknowledge the ban.

The British Imperial East Africa Company choose Shimoni because it was virtually uninhabited at the time.

Over time it has developed from a sleepy fishing village to become the main port of clearance for oceangoing trade Dhows arriving from as far away as the Arab states of the Persian Gulf, the island of Zanzibar and Dar es Salaam.

Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), in cooperation with privately owned tour dhow operators, try to work together on maintaining and caring for the dolphins that are sighted often within the Wasini Channel, the park, and reserve.

Over the past ten years, 70% of the Shimoni forest has been depleted through human activity exploiting its resources.

Mangrove trees play a large role in maintaining and preserving Shimoni coastal habitats.

Topics include: hygiene, tuberculosis, puberty, post- and pre-natal health, hospital aftercare, safe sex, Hepatitis B, and HIV/AIDS.

Located on well-stocked fishing grounds, the adjacent Pemba Channel has a worldwide reputation for sports angling.