Western Shores of iSimangaliso Wetland Park – South Africa

About

The Western Shores of iSimangaliso Wetland Park is located in KwaZulu Natal, right outside the town of St. Lucia in South Africa. It is the third largest protected area in South Africa. The conservation efforts here date back to 1895. In the last decade, a major effort has been made to restore its original environment and plant life. It is a “Big 5” safari game reserve where you can see popular African animals like the lion, leopard, rhinoceros, elephant, and Cape buffalo. Lake St. Lucia divides the park in half – east and west – and each side has its own feel and experience. There are boardwalks, lookouts and hides. Day and night safaris are offered to see all of the wildlife. It has the largest Estuarine system in Africa. Thanks to the diversity of all the habitats at this park, over 6500 plant and animal species can be found here. The species list here is longer than most others in this region. The best wildlife photography can be done here with so many animals and plants. The Kwelamadoda Pan and the Kwelezintombi Pan areas of the park have a wide variety of birds to see. There are at least 526 birds that reside in this park! Charters Creek is a well-known birding area of this park. You can see both forest birds and birds of prey in the same area. It is located on the Nhlozi peninsula, which floats out into the St. Lucia Lake. Among the must-see birds here are the Martial Eagle, African Fish Eagle, Pied Kingfisher, Hamerkop, Black-bellied Bustard, and Red-billed Oxpecker. This makes it an ideal spot for wildlife photography. Owen visited here in September 2015.

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Birds found here

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  Lesser Striped Swallow

  
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  Black-bellied Bustard

  
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  Black-winged Kite

  
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  Yellow-throated Longclaw

  
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  Hamerkop