Lake St Lucia - https://isimangaliso.com/jewel/lake-st-lucia/

Posted on Thu February 1, 2018.
Elephants in Lake St Lucia, iSimangaliso Wetland Park

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.

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.

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.

Lately guests have had the privilege to witness the local elephant herd refreshing themselves in the lake.

Further Reading

Precious time spent in St Lucia and surrounds promises to be extra rewarding
How Many Nights Do You Really Need in St Lucia, South Africa? Thu December 25, 2025

St Lucia is not a destination built around ticking off attractions. It’s a place shaped by tides and wildlife, early mornings and quiet evenings — where the most memorable moments tend to unfold slowly rather than on demand. That’s why one of the most common questions we receive from guests planning a visit is also one of the most important: “How many nights should we stay?” The answer has less to do...

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The Hidden Seasons of St Lucia Thu December 4, 2025

A More Colourful Look at Nature’s Secret Calendar... Most travellers arrive in St Lucia expecting sunshine, sandy beaches, and safari adventures. But those who linger a little longer, who pause to watch the tide shift or listen to the night sounds from the forest, quickly realise something: this place moves to a rhythm far older and far richer than the four seasons printed on a calendar. St Lucia lives by nature’s seasons...

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views across Bhangazi Lake near Cape Vidal in the iSimangaliso Park, UNESCO world Heritage
From Beach to Bush: The UNESCO Magic of St Lucia & iSimangaliso Wetland Park Sun November 16, 2025

There are places in the world where nature seems to follow ordinary patterns, and others where it breaks them entirely. St Lucia, a small, coastal town wrapped in the embrace of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park belongs unmistakably to the latter. This is a landscape where ecosystems blend in improbable ways, where wildlife moves confidently between human spaces, and where the natural world still feels vast, unfiltered and astonishing. It is little wonder...

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