iSimangaliso Wetland Park

Details

Details of iSimangaliso Wetland Park

  • Size: Approximately 3,280 square kilometres.
  • Location: North-Eastern South Africa.
  • Best Time: January to May and September to December.
  • Known For: Amazing landscapes, marine mammals, and rich biodiversity.
  • To Do: Game drives, kayaking, fishing, boat safaris, scuba diving, horse riding, birdwatching, and whale watching.

horse riding, sodwana bay, isimangaliso wetland park

A Big Five game viewing destination with some of the richest biodiversity anywhere in Africa, iSimangaliso Wetlands National Park became a World Heritage site in 1999 and regained Big Five status with the reintroduction of lions in 2013.

elephants, sodwana bay, isimangaliso wetland park

Its broad array of landscapes includes dune forests, savannah, wetlands, beaches, and coral reefs - allowing for a huge variety of animals to call the park home including the Big Five, Nile crocodiles, whales, whale sharks, turtles, dolphins, and much more.

Popular destinations within iSimangaliso include Cape Vidal, Kosi Bay, and St. Lucia.

hippo, st lucia estuary, isimangaliso wetland park

Short Overview

Africa's first World Heritage listed site, iSimangaliso translates from Zulu into 'miracle and wonder' and it's easy to see why this fascinating park would draw such praise.


The only place on earth where the oldest land mammal (the rhinoceros), the largest mammal (the elephant), the largest marine mammal (the whale), and the oldest fish (the coelacanth) share an ecosystem, the iSimangaliso Wetlands Park is truly a wonder to behold.

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