To help you plan and get the most out of your safari we have listed some ideas along with the time of year they are available. Game viewing is an all year round activity so can be combined with any of our suggestions.
Did you know the only place on the globe where one of the world’s oldest land mammals (Rhino), along with the world’s biggest terrestrial mammal (Elephant) share an ecosystem with the world’s oldest fish (Coelacanth) and the world’s biggest marine mammal (Whale) is KwaZulu Natal.
Whale Watching
Between July and November predominantly Humpback Whales and occasionally Southern Right Whales can be spotted off the KZN coastline as they migrate northwards from Antarctica heading to breeding grounds off the coast of Mozambique. Whale watching is normally associated with the seas off South Africa’s Cape but now a licensed operation from St Lucia, Advantage Tours is offering boat trips to view what can only be described as an amazing spectacle. You could see 40 tonnes of whale breaching from the ocean in the morning and by the afternoon be watching Elephants, the largest living land mammal, browsing in the ‘bush’.
Loggerhead & Leatherback Turtles
October to January is ‘Turtle season’. On the Northern beaches of KZN both Loggerhead and Leatherback Turtles come ashore to lay their eggs, up to nine times in that period, laying between sixty and one hundred eggs on each visit. Seven weeks later the eggs hatch and the newly born scramble to the ocean.
Sardine Run
Every June, July literally millions of tiny sardines start their migration from Port Edward in the south of the region heading North to the coast of Mozambique. An estimated twenty thousand dolphins, one hundred thousand Cape Gannets and large numbers of both shark and game fish can be seen in hot pursuit. During this period the sardines are often driven onto the beach where locals are waiting to gather them in. This is not a good time for swimming, as to aid the fish, shark nets are dropped to allow the migration to progress.
Lammergeyer (Bearded Vulture) Hide
From May to September at Giants Castle, situated in the spectacular Drakensberg Mountains, you have the chance to view not only the rare Lammergeyer but also a host of other raptors, which include the Black Eagle. The famous hide gives a chance to get close and offers great photo opportunities.
