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- The Whales are Back!
The annual whale watching season is now in full swing with some excellent close encounters with whales and dolphins off the coast of St. Lucia in KwaZulu-Natal.
On 24th June, spectators saw a minke whale and 16 humpback whales and 28th June was even better with 16 humpback sightings on the first trip and 23 on the second!
St. Lucia offers some of the best boat-based whale watching anywhere in South Africa. From as close as 50m, you can watch whales breaching and lob-tailing as they pass along the coast en route to their breeding grounds. Once on board the boat, the experienced skipper will give an interesting talk and there is a hydrophone on board so you can even listen to the whale song – quite an experience. This is a very special trip and, as well as whales and dolphins, you could also see a variety of pelagic bird life, sea turtles (in season) sharks and marlin.
We’ll be pleased to book whale watching and other tours for you and recommend registered operators.
- Things to do in St. Lucia
In case you’re wondering what to do in St. Lucia, these are just a few of the activities available:-
Whale watching, hippo & croc tour on the estuary, Hluhluwe/iMfolozi Game Reserve safari (Big 5), Eastern Shores game drive, night drive into the Wetland Park, snorkelling at Cape Vidal, scuba diving at Sodwana Bay, turtle tours (November to March), Khula Zulu Village cultural tour, horse riding on the beach or in the bush, hiking trails, bicycle tours, bird-watching tours and trails, kayaking, canoeing, salt water fly fishing, rock and surf fishing and deep sea fishing,
No point in coming for a weekend – you’d better stay for a week!
- iSimangaliso Wetland Park
Along with a new name comes a brand new logo for the very special iSimangaliso Wetland Park, formerly the Greater St. Lucia Wetland Park. The design of the logo has been influenced by several factors, namely World Heritage values including geographical uniqueness, spiritual importance, balance and proportion within nature an the interaction of people with nature.
The identity that will take iSimangaliso into the future is made up of four key elements:
- Water (blue) which is one of the most basic components of life. This evokes a distinctive landscape of clear seas, rivers, lakes and estuaries.
- Nature (green) represented by a mathematical or geometric pattern which is inherent in natural design including 60 million year-old fossil ammonites, unfurling fern fronds, and the way a chameleon's tail curls.
- Sun (yellow) which points to the fact that life is ultimately dependent on energy from the sun.
- People (red) symbolised by a vibrant and directional arrow. People are an integral part of the landscape and future of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park.
The triangle formed by the red sides and yellow bow represent a dynamic, forward-moving organisation. The diamond shape of the logo is a pattern reflecting great structural strength, and also echoes the diamond shape in the World Heritage icon.
- Sandy the hippo.
A young hippo has become something of an attraction in St Lucia since she decided to graze on grass near holiday apartments. Named 'Sandy' by residents, the hippo has so far resisted all attempts to be captured. Conservation authorities have warned that, although Sandy appears tame, she should still be treated as a wild animal and residents and visitors are warned not to approach her.
At Parkers Cottages, we'll look after you well. That's our promise.
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