The name iSimangaliso means miracle and wonder. It is an apt name for a very special place. A place that is both a Ramsar Wetland as well as South Africa’s first Natural World Heritage Site. I feel incredibly privileged to be here for a month, discovering my passions and doing the things I absolutely love, bush walks, game drives, writing and photography!
The park has 8 interlinking eco-systems, Africa’s 
largest estuarine system, over 500 bird species, fishing traditions that are over 700 years old and 25,000 year old coastal dune systems which are amongst the highest in the world.
We spend Tuesday afternoon on a hippo and croc tour getting up close and personal with these magnificent beasts.
The Nile Crocodiles live to be approximately 70 years old. While it is the largest predator in St Lucia, their fat deposits enable them to go without food for almost a year! There are estimates that the croc population in the lake systems here could reach 1,500 but they are a vulnerable species. Some of the main threats to the croc population here are the conflicts with humans and the loss of habitat. A female will lay about 45 eggs every 2 to 3 year and this could increase if food is abundant. However, only a couple of crocs will actually survive past a few years and become fully fledged adults.
We are captivated by the hippos and are fortunate that we are on the water during a time when they very active. We pass by many pods some comprising of at least 20 hippos. 
Hippos have the dubious reputation of killing more humans in Africa than any other animal. However they are an important part of the eco system here and at night you find them eating tonnes of grass from both the surrounding swamp lands as well as the neighbouring parks in the area. 
It is not uncommon to encounter a hippo on the street if you are walking home late at night in St 
Lucia and we have been briefed as to the appropriate behaviour in the event of a hippo encounter! In general, if you don’t get in the way of a hippo and the water or a hippo and her cub you will be safe :) 
By day you can find a hippo wallowing in the water, digesting all of the food they have eaten. The lakes here are full of their nutrient rich dung which in turn supports a huge food chain including invertebrates, fish, birds and crocs.
It is late afternoon and the hippos are active at this time, which 
makes it exciting for us. As photographers we are all vying for those perfect yawn shots and I think we all managed to catch a few although making sure it is always in focus is quite a challenge.
We are also fortunate to see many bird species such as sea eagles and the goliath heron. 
We have had an amazing experience and even before we step off the the boat we are making plans to revisit the estuary by boat before we leave St Lucia.
The sun is setting when we return to the boat ramp. The lake changes from beautiful shades of orange to amazing shades of pink. The Miracle, Wonder, and Magic of iSimangaliso will always remain with me.
It is only when we silent the blaring sounds of our daily existence that we can finally hear the whispers of truth that life reveals to us, as it stands knocking on the doorsteps of our hearts. ~K.T. Jong
No comments:
Post a Comment