Greater St. Lucia Wetland Park - Philip Briggs

Let Southbound take you to a very special place on the south-eastern coast of Africa -- to the Elephant Coast of the Zulu Kingdom in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal, where you'll find the breathtakingly beautiful, 260,000-hectare Greater St. Lucia Wetland Park. From whales to tropical fish, from rhino to its unique birdlife, this patchwork of wetlands, dunes and coastal forest has it all. Features: Lake St Lucia, Africa's largest estuary, is home to the greatest congregation of hippos and crocodiles in South Africa; Eight inter-linking ecosystems, 3 major lake systems, 220km of Indian Ocean coastline and beaches; 190km of marine reserve with 100 species of coral; Five tribal groups, 700 years of traditional fish traps; 129 mammal, 128 reptile, 526 bird, 1,039 fish and 282 butterfly species; The last major breeding ground for the giant leatherback and loggerhead turtles.