iSimangaliso Wetland Park – where leatherbacks go to dream

In the murky moonlight an enormous form drags its bulk from the breaking waves and lugs itself up a sandy shore in northern KwaZulu-Natal. Despite her torturously slow pace, the leatherback turtle has the appearance of an American football player – armour tucked around her, short neck set and stubby legs churning as she doggedly heads for the posts.

The turtle reaches her goal midway up the beach and starts digging a hole in the sand. Once done, she settles into a trance and begins laying her eggs. A small group of tourists on a turtle tour creep silently towards her. Once the leatherback has begun laying, human presence won’t deter her. Up until that point, their appearance would have sent her labouring back to the sea, mission unaccomplished.

There’s a reverential hush, broken by only the heavy exhalations of the turtle which, under the full moon on this magical night, seem to keep time with the lapping waves.

The survival of her species appears assured as she drops one after another of her golfball-sized eggs into their sandy nest. The reality, however, is less optimistic. Leatherbacks, like all sea turtles, are under threat of being dragged into the undertow of extinction. Marine pollution, trawl fishing, the overharvesting of eggs and development on nesting beaches has placed them on the Red Data list of threatened species. In 1996, the world’s population of female leatherbacks was estimated at between 26 200 and 42 900, less than a third of what it was in 1980.

Many Asian and Pacific populations are close to being wiped out – a nesting beach at Terengganu in Malaysia, which once boasted up to 10 000 nests in the 1950s, in recent years has hosted only about 20. However, the leatherbacks that return to their place of birth to nest on this Maputaland beach have been given a fighting chance. The coastline from Maphelane to Kosi Bay (nine per cent of South Africa’s coastline) forms part of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, which was the country’s first World Heritage Site.

iSimangaliso encompasses two contiguous marine protected areas (MPAs), St Lucia and Maputaland, which project three nautical miles out to sea and join up with Mozambique’s newly formed MPA which extends from the border to Maputo Bay. The result is 300 kilometres of protected coastline linked to a system of interconnected wetland, estuarine and terrestrial ecosystems.

‘This was a vital step in improving the protection of marine turtles and other rare or endangered species, marine mammals and ecosystems,’ says Andrew Zaloumis, CEO for the Wetland Authority.

‘Southern Mozambique is an important nursery for fish stocks with fi sh, larvae and eggs carried in south-flowing currents into South Africa’s iSimangaliso. Protection of these will benefit both countries.’

The interaction of these environments has resulted in an astounding diversity of natural spectacles and species. The marine side boasts 25 000-year-old dune fields, 100 coral and 1 200 fish species, including the near-extinct coelacanth. Nearly 85 per cent of the reef fish are endemic to the west Indian Ocean and attract frog-finned visitors to Sodwana Bay for some of the world’s best diving.

Another attraction is the migration of humpback whales, which head up the coast from May each year to mate and calve in the warm waters of Mozambique and Madagascar.

The enormous variety of ichthyofauna is the marine park’s mainstay – the money generated from ecotourism is largely responsible for its continued survival. For years, the area once known as the Greater St Lucia Wetland Park was under dispute, with multinational mining concerns arguing that dredging the titaniumrich dunes would bring jobs to the underdeveloped, rural region.

Conservationists vehemently opposed this and sought protection for the area. In 1994, the new government ruled against dune mining on the premise that tourism and conservation could provide tangible, long-term benefits for the people living in the area. The biggest victory for eco-tourism and conservation came in 1999 when the park was listed as a World Heritage Site. South Africa became the second country in the world to incorporate the World Heritage Convention into law.

These days, between 70 000 and 80 000 visitors swarm the beaches in peak seasons to fish, dive, snorkel and swim, but the iSimangaliso Authority, which manages the park, can’t rest on its laurels. Hotels, lodges and other tourism concessionaires have to adhere to an integrated management plan that ensures that people in the local communities also benefit. Projects to improve road access and links to the beaches are ongoing as are programmes to support and build tourism in the park.

‘iSimangaliso is not only a symbol of a no-mining decision, it is a World Heritage park that is being made, in the true sense, open and available to locals and tourists as a people’s park,’ says Zaloumis.

An upcoming attraction will be the launch of new dive sites near Cape Vidal later this year. The artificial reefs were created after two large barges ran aground in October 2008. The vessels, DAR 1 and DAR 2, were scuttled and left unhindered for plants and marine life to settle on their steel skeletons. It takes about a year for an artificial reef to establish, but after just 10 weeks scientists had already recorded 46 fish species on DAR 2. Subsequently, two rare fish species have been spotted, the tiger angelfish (Apolemichthys kingi) and Fraser’s goatfish (Parupeneus fraserorum).

‘By late last year, a total of 180 fish species had been recorded on the DARs, including a new species of fish of the Blenny family, that is still to be named,’ says Zaloumis.

But the most exciting development at iSimangaliso is also one of its oldest rituals. Come January through March each year, the beach crawls with dozens of newly hatched turtles. Their staccato dance to the sea will prove perilous as they dodge predators like ghost crabs, seagulls and fish. If they can make it through the next five years to sexual maturity, they can at least be assured of a nesting place on the beach where they were born and the continued life cycle of their species.

iSimangaliso Marine Protected Area
The whole of iSimangaliso’s 220-kilometre coastline is proclaimed. About three-quarters of this (from the border just north of Kosi Bay to Cape Vidal) comprises two marine protected areas, St Lucia MPA and the Maputaland MPA. Plans are underway to extend the MPA to include the park’s whole coastline.

The St Lucia MPA runs from just south of Cape Vidal to Gobey’s Point (north of Sodwana Bay). No fishing is allowed in the sanctuary zone from beacon N5 at Red Cliffs and beacon N6 at Leven Point. Shore angling, skiboat angling and spearfishing (subject to permits and season) are allowed in the controlled zones north of beacon N5 at Red Cliffs and N6 at Leven Point.

The Maputaland MPA lies between Gobey’s Point and the Mozambique border. Fishing is prohibited between Dog Point and Boteler Point and from beacon 13 north of Bhanga Nek to the border. A small area at Kosi Bay mouth is open to shore fishing.

Recreational activities allowed in the controlled areas of the MPAs are scuba diving, snorkelling, whale-watching, shark diving, shore angling and spear fishing.

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Where to stay

$$ Serene Estate Guesthouse in St Lucia is where uber-cool European design meets the balmy wilds of Africa. You can even spy game across the swimming pool. The bright, colour-themed rooms have their own sitting area and are fitted with air conditioning, wireless internet, DStv and a king-size bed. B&B is between R600 and R700 a person a night sharing. There are discounts for extended stays. Cell 072-365-2450, e-mail info@serene-estate.co.za, web www.serene-estate.co.za.

$ to $ Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, Cape Vidal offers accommodation in a variety of basic log cabins among the dunes. The self-catering family units sleep between five and eight and there are 50 campsites. Larger multi-bed cabins for fishing parties (sleep eight to 20) are also available. The bay is protected and good for snorkelling and there’s a launch site for ski boats. High season prices range from R86 a person a night for camping to R276 a person for the chalets. Tel 033-845-1000, e-mail webmail@kznwildlife.com, web www.kznwildlife.com.

$ to $$ Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, Sodwana Bay Camp’s recently upgraded Swiss-style log cabins (sleep five to eight) offer spacious family accommodation a short drive from the beach. The kitchens are fully equipped for self-catering and there’s a braai area. The camp also has extensive camping facilities. High season prices range from R95 a person a night for camping to R360 a person a night for the cabins. Tel 033-845-1000, e-mail webmail@kznwildlife.com, web www.kznwildlife.com.

$$$ Rocktail Beach Camp comprises 17 luxurious tented units with en suite bathrooms in a lush coastal forest. Seven of these are family suites with a shared bathroom and two bed- rooms for two adults and two children. Prices for dinner, bed and breakfast range from R1 475 an adult a night sharing in a standard room to R1 690 an adult in the family suites. Children under 12 are charged R270. From 15 October to 15 March, guests can take part in a nightly turtle patrol with an official turtle monitor. The lodge is part of the Maputaland Sea Turtle Project and assists Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife. Turtle tours cost R275. Tel 011-257-5111, e-mail info@safariadventure.co.za, web www.rocktailbay.com.

$$$ Kosi Forest Lodge is in sand forests near Kosi’s fourth lake. The thatched/tented suites have outdoor bathrooms with the option of bathing or showering under the stars. There is a range of activities available, including guided canoe rides or forest walks. High season rates start from R1 650, which includes all meals. Tel 035-474-1473, e-mail res@isibindi.co.za, web www.isibindiafrica.co.za.

What to do

Advantage Tours is the only legal whale-watching operation in iSimangaliso. The season runs from June to November, but to get the best value for your R850, book a tour in the early part of the season when the whales are migrating up the coast and are still playful and full of energy. Once they begin their return journey to Antarctica, they are low on food reserves and their behaviour is more reserved. Tel 035-590-1259, e-mail advantage@zululink.co.za, web www.advantagetours.co.za.

Adventure Mania offers scuba-diving courses, equipment hire and leisure dives in Sodwana Bay. The instructors are passionate about preserving their reefs and owner Christo van Jaarsveld is one of very few people who can claim to have dived with a coelacanth. Rates for dives start from R190, excluding equipment. Cell 082-653-7824, e-mail amania@iafrica.com, web www.adventuremania.co.za.