WITH eight interlinking ecosystems encompassing mountains, savannah, grasslands, wetlands, lakes, coral reefs, rocky shores and dune forests, iSimangaliso Wetland Park world heritage site near St Lucia is arguably one of the most diverse natural areas on the planet.
It is also incredibly diverse when it comes to water and terrestrial outdoor activities for the whole family so why not pay a visit to this miraculous natural playground these holidays. On land, its astounding mix of flora and fauna makes it a prime venue for game viewing.
A wide range of big and small game is spread throughout the southern and central regions of the park, with all of the ‘big five’ found in the uMkhuze section.With its mix of habitats, the park is also home to an incredible 526 recorded bird species.
“That’s way more than most countries and practically double that of the entire United Kingdom,” chirped Andrew Zaloumis, chief executive of iSimangaliso. Of these species a astounding 420 species occurred in Mkhuze alone. No wonder it was internationally acclaimed as a first class birding hot spot, he added.
Two official iSimangaliso teams of twitchers took part in the recent 30th annual Big Birding Day, when teams from all over South Africa did their best to see as many birds as possible within a 50km radius of a set position, in one 24-hour period. Members of the teams, all highly respected in the birding world, picked up excellent counts of 262 and 273.
Unusual avian highlights included European honey buzzard, lesser spotted eagle, African black oystercatcher, grey-headed kingfisher and red-headed weaver.
The teams also encountered many East Coast specials like the swamp nightjar, lemon-breasted canary, green malkoha, Woodward’s batis, pink-throated and green twinspots and southern banded snake-eagle. iSimangaliso’s warm, clear oceans, bursting with a myriad underwater species on its coral reefs, make the park an excellent place to see interesting marine creatures like sharks, whales, coelacanths and nesting leatherback and loggerhead turtles.
With some of the best fishing waters in the country, the licensed operators offer deep sea fishing charters out of St Lucia and Sodwana Bay. Those with their own deep sea vessels may also go out to sea.
Rock and surf fishing is permitted throughout much of the park’s 220-km coastline. The other ocean-related experiences for which iSimangaliso is internationally known are turtle tours, from November to March, and boat-based whale watching, from June to November.
Turtle tours are offered by three licensed vehicle operators, either at St Lucia or Sodwana Bay, and four community guides offering walking tours at Kosi Bay. For energetic families, there are more than enough activities to keep everyone busy all day. Due to the presence of South Africa’s greatest concentration of hippos (around 800) and crocodiles (well over 1200 adults) in the Lake St Lucia system, swimming is prohibited there.
However the warm Indian Ocean is the perfect antidote to the summer heat and humidity. The preferred swimming spots are the shallow rock pools and sheltered bays at Cape Vidal and Sodwana Bay, and on calm days, at St Lucia.
The magical park also offers short walks, longer hikes, cycle trails, horse riding on the beach, photographic opportunities and visits to the St Lucia Crocodile Centre.
