Sodwana Bay part of the Greater St. Lucia Wetland Park, a world heritage site.
Sodwana Bay has an impressive fish diversity on the reefs, with over 1100 species having been positively identified. These reefs are of the most Southernly coral reefs in the world. The fact that no silt-bearing rivers are close to the area ensures that the corals are pristine and the visibility good. This area has been a protected reserve for many years, ensuring large fish populations as well as pristine corals.
The Coelacanth was rediscovered in the 19th century, these ancient fish are closely related to lungfishes and tetrapods, they were believed to become extinct at the end of the Cretaceous period. They are more closely related to tetrapods than to ray-finned fish, coelacanths were considered transitional species between fish and tetrapods. On 23 December 1938, the first Latimeria specimen was found off the East coast of South Africa. The Coelacanth was discovered among the catch of a local fisherman.
Its discovery 66 million years after its supposed extinction makes the coelacanth the best-known example of a Lazarus taxon (an evolutionary line that seems to have disappeared from the fossil record only to reappear much later). Since 1938, the West Indian Ocean Coelacanth have been found in the Comoros, Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, Madagascar, iSimangaliso Wetland Park, and off the South Coast of Kwazulu-Natal in South Africa.
Sodwana Bay is rated by international divers as one of the top 10 dive destinations in the world. The maximum summer water temperature is 28°C with an average of 26°C while the minimum winter water temperature is 17°C with an average of 22°C. Visibility ranges from 8m to 40m (depending on the time of the year) with an average of 12m. Visibility is reduced in winter due to the increased plankton in the water. This however leads to increased sightings of Whale sharks and Manta rays. It is also a fantastic are for both Open Water Divers and Advanced Open Water Divers with reefs at depths of 12m all he way to a staggering 40m (Deep Diver required).
Humpback whales are a common sighting during their annual migration from June to November. Sodwana is also one of the preferred aggregation sites of the pregnant Ragged-Tooth shark from November to March.
You could also go on an offroad adventure and visit wonderful Lake Sibaya and the unspoiled wetlands of Kwazulu-Natal, you might even be able to spot a Crocodile or even a Hippo.
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If you are interested in joining us here at amazing Sodwana Bay or any of our other local areas, please feel free to contact us and book your spot today or ask us about a custom trip specifically tailored for your needs.