#turtletours

Turtle Tours

St Lucia turtle Tours (iSimangaliso Wetland Park) begin in November when Loggerhead and Leatherback turtles come ashore on the golden beaches in the St Lucia Turtle Sanctuary, to lay their eggs. On the St Lucia turtle nesting tours we drive along the beach (iSimangaliso Cape Vidal too Leven Point) at night in search of turtles. At certain stages during the nesting process, turtles can be approached, viewed and photographed without causing disturbance to the turtles. Once the female Loggerhead and Leatherback turtles have nested, the eggs incubate for about 65 days, depending upon nest temperatures. On St Lucia turtle hatchling tours, we drive along the beach in the turtle sanctuary with very dim flashlights looking for baby turtles as they move down the beach towards the ocean. If you are going to be in South Africa in the St Lucia area, this is a phenomenon not to be missed. 2014 Shoreline Boat Turtle and Walking Safaris have officially been awarded with the Turtle Tour concession for the iSimangaliso Wetland Park area. The commencement date for the Turtle Tours is 12 November 2014. The tours will depart from St Lucia and please do take note that the times vary according to the tides and therefore each evening will vary. Its an incredible tour with the benefit of being able to witness two separate types of Turtles that frequent the beaches of St Lucia, these include the Logger Head and Leather Back Turtles. Please do take note that sightings are not guaranteed as the same applies to a safari into any game reserve. What is incredible is that one will travel through the Eastern Shores of iSimangaliso Wetland Park enroute to the beach at Cape Vidal while traveling to the beach one also has the added benefit of coming across various animal species that frequent the area these include Hippo, Buffalo, Rhino, Antelope and even the odd Leopard. Once you arrive at the Cape Vidal beach your guide will deflate the open game drives tyres and then you are officially off on a Turtle Tour along the beach, the stretch of beach that you will 4×4 on is a reserve and the distance that you will travel is aprox 27km before you get to the sanctuary. It is along this stretch of beach that you will be looking for the turtles. From November the Turtles start to lay their eggs and once the incubation period is complete then only will the hatchlings depart into the water never to set foot onto land again in the case of the males. Did you know that when the females are ready to lay their eggs that they will always return to their birth stretch of beach never mind where in the ocean they are. Turtle Tours are an incredible and magical outing definitely a once in a life time experience should you be interested in booking this tour then please do Click Here for prices and availability. Seats are limited to 10 so please do ensure that you have made bookings prior as the Turtle Tours do coincide with High season in St Lucia. We are incredibly excited to mention that during our current season of 2015 that the sightings have been awesome thus far not to mention that our success rate currently is more than 94% for Leopards. This is amazing as it adds so much more value to the extraordinary outing as it is. Turtle Viewing Season: Starting Date: 1 November End Date: 31 March Telephonic Bookings: +27 35 5901555 iSimangaliso Wetland Park, St Lucia Why not join a Turtle Tour while in iSimangaliso Wetland Park , St Lucia and not only get to witness the Turtles, Leopards but some magnificent scenery as well. Turtle Tours are conducted on the Eastern Shores of iSimangaliso Wetland Park. Accessing the Eastern shores is done by entering the Cape Vidal gate from St Lucia. The Eastern shores borders the Indian Ocean on the East and the St Lucia Estuary on the West. Traveling to Cape Vidal is a 28 km journey prior to one being able to access the beach. What makes the Turtle Tours even more spectacular is the fact that one has the opportunity to enjoy a Night Drive Safari both en route and back to St Lucia on completion of the Turtle Tour. While en route one may come across various wildlife species including Leopard, Buffalo, Rhino, Hippo, Antelope and smaller nocturnal species such as Chameleons. Its a magnificent outing in an incredible park. Turtle Tour Sightings The 2015/2016 Turtle Tour Season (area: St Lucia/iSimangaliso Wetland Park) has truly been a magnificent season thus far. November 2015 started of with splendid sightings of Leopards virtually each evening. Furthermore our Ranger Jacques was fortunate to spot more than 1 Leopard on most nights in and among-st other Nocturnal wildlife. The Turtles started showing themselves from mid November and continued throughout the season. Leatherback Turtles and Logger Head Turtles where witnessed on numerous occasions throughout the season. December Leopard sightings dwindled a bit due to more traffic on the Cape Vidal road but quickly increased after the festive season. As of late January a lot more LeatherBack Turtles had been witnessed with numerous Logger Head hatch-lings. LeatherBack Turtle Facts LeatherBack Turtle: Reptile Carnivore 45 year Lifespan Can weigh up to 900 kg LeatherBacks are the largest turtles on earth. As their name implies their skin is thin, tough and rubbery. Made up of thousands of bone plates that gives an impression of leather. The LeatherBack is the only turtle that does not have a hard outer shell. The length of a adult Turtle can be up to 2,7 m long. Scissor like jaws, jellyfish is the main diet of this magnificent creature. Female Turtles between the ages of 6 and 10 years will mate every 2 to 3 years. A female may lay her eggs up to 9 times during one season with an average of 10 days between nestings.

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iSimangaliso Wetland

iSimangaliso Wetland Park, South Africa’s very first World Heritage site since 1999 (Unesco), it is also the third largest protected area in South Africa. Situated in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa, this Wetland Park covers an incredible 332000 hectares. Its a place of wonder, miracles and wildlife. The largest Estuarine system in Africa (St Lucia Estuary) 526 bird species and the second highest vegetated sand dunes are just some f the incredible sightings that await you while in iSimangaliso Wetland Park. iSimangaliso Wetland Park covers 10 unique destinations namely, Kosi Bay, Coastal Forest, Lake Sibaya, Sodwana, Mkuze Game Reserve, False Bay, Western Shores & Charters Creek, Lake St Lucia, Eastern Shores & Cape Vidal and Mphelane. Its with out a doubt a wildlife paradise. Their are 5 predominant interlinked ecosystems found in the iSimangaliso Wetland Park. The species list of iSimangaliso Wetland Park are of the lengthiest in the region. Over 6500 plant and animal species including 521 bird species. The diversity of habitats (Aquatic, Coastal, Wetland and Terrestrial) supports an impressive array of animal species. Consisting of 13 separate but contiguous conservation units totalling 239 566 hectares and 85000 hectares of marine reserves. Conservation dates back to 1895 created by the Zululand government. Beaches 220 kilometres of pristine, protected coastline makes for a vast range of beaches to enjoy throughout the Park. The coastline stretches from Maphelane in the south to the Kosi Bay mouth near the Mozambique border and offers visitors a wide range of pristine beaches. The water temperature of the Indian Ocean ranges between 19°C in mid winter (June–July) to approximately 29°C in mid summer (Dec–Feb). The most accessible bathing beaches are at Cape Vidal and Sodwana Bay. St Lucia beaches are very popular with day visitors. Unspoiled stretches of beach can be found at Black Rock, Nine Mile Beach, Lala Nek, Bhanga Nek and Mabibi along the Coastal Forest section of iSimangaliso. Most of the bathing beaches have ablution facilities for day visitors. Bird Watching With over 520 bird species recorded in the Park, iSimangaliso is a bird-watcher’s paradise. iSimangaliso offers some of SA’s finest birding, with 526 bird species recorded throughout the Park. Wetlands are renowned for huge numbers of water birds such as flocks of pelicans, storks and flamingos congregating alongside specials such as Pinkthroated Longclaws, Pygmy Geese and Lesser Jacanas. The uMkhuze section of the Park is a renowned birding destination, hosting 420 of the Park’s recorded species. It is also one of the country’s only pelican nesting sites. Estuary Boat Cruises See hippo and crocodiles in their natural habitat from the comfort of a custom-built passenger ferry. Discover Lake St Lucia in comfort aboard a ferry that is able to venture into the shallow waters of the lake. Depart from one of two jetties on a two-hour estuary boat cruise, stopping at interesting sightings along the way. Close encounters with hippo and crocodiles are the main attraction of this tour. Knowledgeable guides provide commentary on the workings of Africa’s largest estuarine system. A wide variety of bird life including fish eagles, kingfishers and herons are normally spotted on the tour. Licensed bar services and toilet facilities are available on board the larger boats. The smaller boats offer a more intimate experience while the large ones are ideal for groups, schools and functions. Catering can be done on some of the boats by prior appointment. Deep Sea Fishing Warm currents and deep ocean trenches make the waters off the iSimangaliso coast ideal for game fishing. The iSimangaliso coastline has attracted many avid fishermen to its shores. The lakes and ocean are teeming with fish. Sodwana Bay and St Lucia are particularly favoured as fishing destinations. The warm waters off the coast are a result of of the Agulhas current coming in close to the shore. A continental shelf lying within 1-3km of the shore is responsible for the deep trenches that attract game fish. Anglers and skippers are required to abide by strict rules and regulations. The use of nets (unless under licence) and lights are prohibited. Vertical jigging is not permitted anywhere in the Park. Spear fishing is permissible to a licence holder on the coast except in the Marine Protected Areas. Game Drives Licenced operators offer guided tours across all sections of the Park. See the Big 5 and much more. A number of excellent game viewing roads traverse the Eastern and Western Shores sections of the Park. You are almost guaranteed to see hippo on the Pan Loop and the Vlei Loop has very rewarding game sightings – sometimes even a hippo out of the water in the middle of the day! For birders, the Catalina Bay Lookout point is particularly rewarding and the Mission Rocks Lookout provides a unique view of both Lake St Lucia and the Indian Ocean. The coastal Dune Loop provides sweeping vistas and the Grassland Loop skirts the southern shore of Lake Bhangazi before crossing over rolling grasslands and a small section of swamp forest along the Nkazana Stream. A new Forest Loop will open in 2016. The giraffe are seen only on the Western Shores, whilst the elephant appear to have made the Western Shores home too. Licensed Operators offer guided tours of these sections including full day beach and bush experiences to Cape Vidal as well as night drives providing the opportunity to see the endemic Setaro Dwarf chameleon and the frequently spotted nocturnal leopard and hyaena. Guided Walks Explore the Park’s splendour at your own pace under the guidance of an experienced ranger. Taking a walk along one of iSimangaliso’s many designated walking trails is the best way to see the magnificent game animals that call the Park home. The absence of a noisy 4×4 safari vehicle ensures that the animals won’t be disturbed – and being accompanied by one of our highly trained armed guides ensures peace-of-mind, just in case you should happen to encounter any of the park’s predatory inhabitants. Horse Riding Take a tour of iSimangaliso’s unspoiled beaches or explore its game reserves on horseback. The Eastern Shores offers a fantastic equestrian

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Turtle Tours

A chance to see the ancient nesting rituals of Loggerhead and Leatherback turtles, which nest nowhere else in Africa. The coastline of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park is the only remaining major nesting site in Africa where Loggerhead and Leatherback turtles still lay their eggs. These important breeding grounds have been protected by Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, the conservation partners of the Wetland Park Authority, for over 50 years. This ancient nesting ritual starts early in November every year. The female emerges from the surf and rests in the wash zone alert for danger – at this point she is easily disturbed. She then moves above the high tide mark to find a suitable site, where the laborious process of digging a nest, down to 1m in depth, commences. After laying a batch of 80-100 eggs, she carefully closes the nest and conceals its presence from foragers like jackals, genets, honey badgers and ghost crabs. The cumbersome journey back to sea follows. The eggs can take up to 70 days to hatch, with the hatchlings emerging at night and making their way to the sea from January through to March every year. Approximately 4 hatchlings from every 1000 are estimated to reach maturity. Recent evidence suggests that female turtles return to the beaches where they hatched. How they know the route back to the spots they hatched on remains a mystery. Turtle tours operate from November to March every year from St Lucia and Cape Vidal (Shoreline Boat Safaris & Turtle Tours; Thompsons Tours), Sodwana Bay (Phinda and Ufudu Tours), Mabibi (Thonga Beach Lodge), Island Rock (Rocktail Beach Camp) and Bhanga Nek (Community guides). source: isimangaliso

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