St Lucia Boat Safari Full Day Tour, Durban

The Isimangaliso (Greater ST Lucia) Wetlands Park,  is a UNESCO Site.  This is a unique and rich ecosystem with diverse and many different animals and sea creatures both aquatic and land based.  You board a River Boat and enjoy a 2 hour safari cruising waters with one of the highest concentrations of hippo, [over 800], and crocodile [over 1000] in Southern Africa.  Be sure to have your camera ready – not just for the beautiful beaches, lush coastal forests, dunes, savannas, wetlands, sunsets over the lake or even the leatherback turtles laying eggs (in summer), but also the extensive game and birdlife and fascinating tropical, coastal scenery.

Watch the Fish Eagles dive for their dinner and hear their “cry of the wild”, a sound that will thrill you, often referred to as the cry of Africa. There will be many photo opportunities to capture the wildlife!  Elephant,rhino, zebra, antelope and many more.   

Bird enthusiasts will be richly rewarded!!  There have been 420 species of birds recorded here, including 6 endemic species:  The St. Lucia Parrot, the St Lucia Pewee and St Lucia Oriole to name some of them.  The diversity of grassland, fresh water and sea water birds make this a haven for bird watchers.    

Wildlife frequently seen in and around the park include the Savanna Elephant, Spotted Hyena, Brown Hyena, Wild Dog, Giraffe, Warthog, Wild Bush Pig, Leopard, Genet, Porcupine, Buffalo, white and black Rhinoceros and Zebra. Antelope species found include Greater Kudu, Common Waterbuck, Bush buck, Common Reedbuck and Red Duiker.

The Wetland Park is particularly rich in fauna both small and large, such as bats, wild cat species, leopard, many antelope species, porcupines and endangered species such as the Black Rhinoceros.  There are also many Marine Mammals that occur in the Wetland Park, including Southern Right Whales, Humpback Whales, Bottlenose Dolphins, Humpback Dolphins and Spinner Dolphins.  iSimangaliso is the principal breeding ground for the Loggerhead and the critically endangered Leatherback sea turtle species in Southern Africa.  The Green Olive Ridley and Hawsbill turtles also occur in the subtidal habitats in the Park.  It is also the southernmost-recorded breeding population of Yellow-Bellied Hinge Terapin.   Lake St Lucia and its associated fresh water systems provide habitat for one of the largest populations of Nile crocodile on the Southern African sub-continent.

This area is a fascinating and exciting eco system with lush vegetation which is home to many large and small mammals, reptiles and birds.  Also rich with aquatic life both in the fresh water streams and the salt water estuary.  You will not be disappointed and will return home with many amazing photographs and memories.