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Lake St Lucia

Africa’s largest estuarine system sustains an awe-inspiring ecosystem

The heart of the miracle

Lake St Lucia owns a sense of place like no other – one of the most abundant, naturally-endowed and beautiful pieces of real estate on earth. If the iSimangaliso Wetland Park is a miracle (which ‘iSimangaliso’ translates to from the Zulu) then the Lake is the heart that sustains that miracle. It is the focal point of the UNESCO World Heritage Listing and has been a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance since 1986. It is 80km long and 23km at its widest point.

Lake St Lucia

Sustaining life, in abundance

Aside from the lake and dune ecosystems, the Park protects a marine zone of warm tropical seas, coral reefs and endless sandy beaches; the papyrus and reed wetland of the uMkhuze swamps, on the north of the lake; and, on the western shore, dry savannah and thornveld. Any one of these would justify conservation, but their confluence around the Lake St Lucia makes this a world-class wilderness.

Bushbuck flourish around the Lake

More than 50% of all water birds in KwaZulu-Natal feed, roost and nest in this Estuary. Of the 155 fish species that have been recorded in the Lake St Lucia estuarine system, 71 species use Lake St Lucia as a nursery area – and at least 24 of these are important in marine line fisheries. More than 2 180 species of flowering plants have been documented here and it is home to many species of antelope such as waterbuck, reedbuck, kudu, nyala, impala and duiker.

In the Area

Activities : Turtle Tours
Reputability and reliability have made Thompsons the recipient of numerous awards in recognition of service excellence.
Established in 1895, the St Lucia Game Reserve is the oldest conservation area situated at iSimangaliso Wetlands.
Activities : Game Drives
Shonalanga Tours specialises in game drives in the Eastern Shores section of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park.
Offering a wide range of wildlife adventures with the goal of informing and educating, and creating excitement about all things wild.
Activities : Boat Cruises
One of the most versatile safari companies around – offering land, lake, and ocean experiences by day or night.
Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife offers game drives and guided walks through the uMkhuze section of ¡Simangaliso.
Centrally located within St Lucia, guests at Elephant Lake Hotel have easy access to an array of activities.