HIPPO AND CROCODILE EDUCATIONAL

AND PHOTOGRAPHICAL TOURS

     Welcome to ST LUCIA SAFARIS boat tour operators on the Elephant Coast. The boat tours take place on lake St Lucia that is situated in the iSimangaliso Wetlands Park.  The park forms part of the first world heritage site in South Africa.

     The St Lucia Estuary system is the largest estuary system in Africa and is fed from the South by the Indian Ocean bringing salty water in on a tidal basis every 12 hours. The Estuary system reaches a depth of 1.2 m and the widest point is approximately 21 Km. The narrowest approximately 250 m and the whole Estuary system covers a total of approximately 300 Km².

     Being a World Heritage site variety is the key and the system supports a wide variety of animals including the Hippopotamus which is in fact descendent from the Whale family which lives in harmony with the Nile Salt Water Crocodile. The system also supports a biodiversity of fresh and saltwater fish.  St Lucia is also privileged to be home to the Humpback Whale and Leather Back Turtle.  There are also five echo systems packed tightly together.

     The Estuary system is fed from the North by four main rivers of which the largest is the Mkuze followed by the Inyalazi, Umzeneni and Hluhluwe.