Forget about Kruger, head east into KwaZulu-Natal for a wildlife extravaganza that goes beyond the Big Five. This province boasts a coral-fringed coastline that is home to some of the most biodiverse waters in the world, sheltering manta rays, turtles, reef sharks and a cornucopia of colourful fish.
South Africa’s first UNESCO World Heritage site, the iSimangaliso Wetland Park (formerly the Greater St Lucia Wetland Park) is home to sand dunes and savannah, hippo-filled estuaries, mangrove-backed wetlands and beaches fringed by some of the world’s most pristine coral reefs. The waters off the coast here are some of the most biodiverse on Earth – snorkelling and diving reveals manta rays, leatherback turtles, sharks and a host of colourful coral fish.
Migrating humpback and southern right whales are seasonal visitors, as are the vast shoals of the Sardine Run – one of the world’s largest marine migrations – creating a feeding frenzy of sharks, dolphins and seabirds in their wake.
Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Game Reserve, Africa’s oldest game reserve is home to lions, leopards, buffalos, elephants and giraffe – but its rhinos are Hluhluwe-iMfolozi’s calling card. Home to Africa’s highest concentration of white rhino, conservation efforts here have been credited with saving the species from the brink of extinction. Bird lovers will be in paradise too – with over 340 species to spot including the colourful violet-backed starling and southern bald ibis.
KwaZulu-Natal’s supports over 670 species of birds. Head to the iSimangaliso Wetland Park and the Elephant Coast for a huge range of birdlife. Its wetlands and estuaries shelter waterbirds – including flamingos, storks and pelicans – while game reserves such as Ndumo and uMkhuze offer sightings of rare pink-throated twinspots, Neergard’s sunbirds and Woodward’s batis. The Drakensberg Mountains offer an alternative, and no-less bewitching birding experience with long crested eagles, jackal buzzards, lammergeiers and cape vultures all to be seen at Cathedral Peak, with rockjumpers to be seen up the famous Sani Pass.
