iSimangaliso …

… stands for ‘miracle’ in isiZulu.

It is also the name of a world heritage site, one of the most beautiful places in South Africa.

Yesterday, we went on an all-day excursion to the iSimangaliso Wetland Park on a rather rainy day, but despite the weather, we had an excellent day.

It started with a morning Hippo and Croc Cruise (on one of the smaller Shakabraker Tours boats) on Lake St. Lucia Estuary. We saw a lot of birds, a young Crocodile, and many Hippos. The latter gave impressive yawning displays and even left the water right in front of us to do a bit of grazing.

Then, we had a superb lunch at St. Lucia’s best restaurant, called ‘Reef and Dunes’. My guests had fresh seafood and fish, which they enjoyed very much. St. Lucia is a small tourist town located on the Indian Ocean at the mouth of the estuary. It is a good base for all activities around the wetland.

After lunch, a quick jump into the Indian Ocean was on the agenda. We walked down the sandy beaches in St. Lucia, and my guests braved the high waves, enjoying the rather warm water for their swim. The sun made a brief appearance for that part of the program.

Instead of using the busy N2 highway for the journey home, we took a leisurely two-and-a-half-hour drive through the western part of the wetlands from Dukuduku gate to the Nhlozi gate. We enjoyed the beautiful water soaked scenery with many more birds, Waterbuck, Reedbuck, and even more Hippos. Wetlands at their best!

Upon our return in the early evening, we agreed that this was a very good all-day program for a rainy day!

If you would like to read more of my stories and see more of my pictures, you can visit my blog at https://sperka.info/blog/

#amazingwildlife #africansafari #safarigetaway #christiansperkaphotography #thandasafari #big5 #gamereserve #wildlifephotography #learnphotography