Annually, between the months of November and March, leatherback and loggerhead turtles haul their massive bodies out of the Indian Ocean and up to the base of the dunes, to lay their eggs. In this most ancient cycle of life, turtles return with almost magical accuracy to the very same beach where they hatched.
Of the seven species of marine turtles worldwide, iSimangaliso’s protected coastline has five species, and its pristine beaches comprise one of the last significant laying sites in Africa for loggerheads and leatherbacks. Turtle monitoring has been undertaken in the Park since the 1960’s, with turtles being measured and tagged. The turtles of iSimangaliso have received significant conservation attention, producing a noteworthy increase in the loggerhead turtle population.
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“With less than 100 laying females coming ashore each year, iSimangaliso’s leatherback turtles, the most southern population in the world, are rarer than black rhino and critically endangered. This means they could go extinct in our lifetime.,” said iSimangaliso CEO Andrew Zaloumis.
A better understanding of these populations is key to their survival, and iSimangaliso has authorised and supports ongoing scientific research projects. Current work includes the satellite tagging of individual turtles, and genetic testing to determine whether known iSimangaliso nesting turtles mate with males in other populations in the Indian or Atlantic Oceans.
About the Leatherback Turtle
The gigantic leatherback turtle can weigh over 800 kg. It has a deep, narrow, barrel-shaped shell that lacks horny scutes (horny scales), but is instead covered with thick, smooth skin like vulcanised rubber. The flippers are long and clawless, and in the adults the shell and flippers are black, usually scattered with white spots.
Leatherbacks undertake long journeys and frequently enter colder currents to find food. They are adapted to conserve heat in cold water. They are the only living reptiles that are warm-blooded, generating their own heat.
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The adult turtles feed only on jellyfish, but the juveniles may also eat other floating organisms. They dive to feed and are able to reach depths of over 350 metres due to their flexible shells, and can stay under the water for up to 37 minutes. Long spines that project backwards cover the inside of the leatherback''s throat to stop slippery food from escaping.
A leatherback turtle becomes sexually mature at between three and five years old, when the carapace is approximately 1400 mm long. Mating between leatherbacks takes place at sea. Leatherback males never leave the water once they enter it, unlike the females, which crawl onto land to nest.
Find out more about the other kinds of turtle seen at iSimangaliso here.
Turtle tours
The iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority has issued contracts to authorised operators to undertake turtle tours within the Park, either by vehicle or on foot. In the St Lucia and Sodwana Bay sections of the Park, vehicular tours are offered by two concession-holders in each respective destination, while community guides are licensed to take visitors on foot patrols from the Kosi Bay area.
Find a list of registered turtle tour operators here.
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Often hailed as a ‘bucket-list’ experience, the attraction of witnessing nesting turtles has proven to be one of the highlights of most visitors’ trips to the Park, and one of the most poignant reminders of why it is so essential that this precious area is conserved in perpetuity. iSimangaliso restricts turtle trips to licensed operators who ensure that there is minimum interference with laying turtles, including the avoidance of camera flashes or spotlights while the turtle is moving up and down the beach to lay.
iSimangaliso accommodation
PortfolioCollection.com has 8 beautiful places to stay in iSimangaliso, from comfortable guest houses to luxury boutique resorts.
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Check them out here.