ST LUCIA (renamed ISIMANGALISO) |
Feel the spirit of Africa as you cruise down the St Lucia Estuary. Lake St Lucia is Africa’s largest estuarine system. It is 80 kilometres long and 24 kilometres wide at its widest point, and home to over 800 Hippos and 1,500 Crocodiles. Bird life in this dynamic system is prolific and includes Flamingos, Pelicans, Fish Eagles, Herons and Storks.
The 2 hour guided tour on the estuary provides sightings of hippos and crocodiles in their natural environment, ending with a spectacular African sunset.
Saved from dune mining, the 332,000-hectare St Lucia Wetlands Park (renamed to iSimangaliso Wetland Park) was listed for its outstanding natural values as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in December 1999. The Park characterises three important criteria against which it was judged: unique ecological processes, superlative natural phenomena and exceptionally rich biodiversity.
What is a World Heritage Site? It is a cultural and natural property whose splendour enriches our lives and whose disappearance would be a loss to humanity. It is an area of outstanding universal value.
The St Lucia Estuary is one of the few areas left in Kwa-Zulu-Natal with healthy stands of ncema grass (Juncus kraussii). Every year thousands of people come to St Lucia Estuary to harvest ncema. This plant is important in Zulu Culture, being used to make sleeping and sitting mats.
During the months from June to November, Humpback Whales pass along the coastline of the Elephant Coast during their annual migration from their feeding grounds in the Antarctic, to breed and calve off the coasts of Mozambique and Madagascar.
Although these phenomenal mammals are sometimes visible from the shoreline, a boat-based whale watching tour is highly recommended. Duration of guided Whale watching tours are 2 hours. A soul stirring experience with the gentle giants of the ocean, this trip is promised to be a truly unique lifetime experience.
St Lucia Wetlands Park Package Read more
Nearby attractions:
- “Big 5” Game Safari: Hluhluwe / iMfolozi Game Reserve Read more
- Dumazulu Cultural Village Read more
- Emdoneni Cheetah Breeding Site
- Ilala Weavers
- Sodwana Bay – Tropical Reef Diving Read more
Adventure Activities:
- Tiger Shark Diving Read more
- Oribi Gorge Wild 5: World’s highest Gorge Swing Read more
- Karkloof Canopy Tours: Africa’s biggest Canopy Tour Read more
- Wreck & Reef Diving: Aliwal Shoal Read more
- Tropical Reef Diving: Sodwana Bay Read more
[ Go Back ]
