Articles
Thonga Lodge Turtle Tracking Packages
Thonga Lodge Turtle Tracking Packages
See Also
Dlinza Forest Aerial Boardwalk
The Karkloof Crane and Conservation Centre
Ongoye Forest Birding Camp
Thonga Beach Lodge and the Mabibi Campsite
The Wakkerstroom Wetland Reserve and Training Centre
Marutswa Forest Trail and Boardwalk
Southern KZN Birding Route
The Karkloof Crane and Conservation Centre
Ongoye Forest Birding Camp
Thonga Beach Lodge and the Mabibi Campsite
The Wakkerstroom Wetland Reserve and Training Centre
Marutswa Forest Trail and Boardwalk
Southern KZN Birding Route
DAYS 1-3 Thonga Beach Lodge
Thonga Beach Lodge is set in one of the most remote regions of the Isimangaliso Wetland Park – it is only accessible in a 4x4 vehicle so guests are met at the Coast Cashew Factory for pick up times of 12h00 and 15h00.
On arrival at Thonga you will be shown to your suite and will have time to settle in before enjoying one of the many exciting activities available at this pristine beach destination.
Thonga Beach Lodge is set on the secluded Mabibi Bay, in the heart of the Isimangaliso (formerly Greater St Lucia) Wetland Park, an internationally recognized World Heritage Site. With direct access onto the pristine shores of the Maputaland coast, this luxury lodge is the ideal place to discover one of the last unspoilt and undeveloped wilderness beaches left on the African continent. Mabibi is a magical place of tranquil swimming bays and snorkelling reefs, coastal forests, grasslands, bush, shimmering lakes and exquisite sandy beaches. Its crystal clear, warm waters offer superb snorkelling and fantastic offshore scuba diving.
Thonga Beach Lodge is set in one of the most remote regions of the Isimangaliso Wetland Park – it is only accessible in a 4x4 vehicle so guests are met at the Coast Cashew Factory for pick up times of 12h00 and 15h00.
On arrival at Thonga you will be shown to your suite and will have time to settle in before enjoying one of the many exciting activities available at this pristine beach destination.
Thonga Beach Lodge is set on the secluded Mabibi Bay, in the heart of the Isimangaliso (formerly Greater St Lucia) Wetland Park, an internationally recognized World Heritage Site. With direct access onto the pristine shores of the Maputaland coast, this luxury lodge is the ideal place to discover one of the last unspoilt and undeveloped wilderness beaches left on the African continent. Mabibi is a magical place of tranquil swimming bays and snorkelling reefs, coastal forests, grasslands, bush, shimmering lakes and exquisite sandy beaches. Its crystal clear, warm waters offer superb snorkelling and fantastic offshore scuba diving.
Eco-tourism = Community + Environment
Scuba diving at Mabibi is phenomenal. Our professional lodge diving team accommodates all enthusiasts, from the beginner to the veteran. Launching of the dive boat occurs right in front of the lodge and is tide dependant.
Times of dives will be scheduled on arrival. An exciting launch through the surf in front of the lodge takes you beyond the breakers to a world of dolphins, whales and snorkelling. The warm Indian Ocean supports a myriad of fish and marine life. Guests can sometimes swim with dolphins or whale sharks, or snorkel with Manta rays and giant turtles.
Times of dives will be scheduled on arrival. An exciting launch through the surf in front of the lodge takes you beyond the breakers to a world of dolphins, whales and snorkelling. The warm Indian Ocean supports a myriad of fish and marine life. Guests can sometimes swim with dolphins or whale sharks, or snorkel with Manta rays and giant turtles.
Activities at Thonga Beach Lodge include scuba diving, Open Ocean experiences, kayaking and sundowners at Lake Sibaya, guided snorkelling, seasonal turtle drives/walks, Tsonga Cultural tours and forest walks. Whether you are a walker or a diver, take advantage of the wealth of activities that await you in this beautiful hideaway, or simply relax by the swimming pool.
The 12 suites are Robinson Crusoe-chic! Thatched en-suite rooms have been carefully constructed in the coastal dune forest to ensure minimum impact on the environment and maximum guest privacy. Each room has a double vanity, stone bath, indoor/outdoor shower, bar fridge, air-conditioning, ceiling fan & mosquito net.
The lodge serves breakfast, lunch & dinner on the deck in the shade of the forest. Sundowners can be enjoyed in the bar lounge or the cool deck under the Coastal Milkwood trees.
Seven species of marine turtles exist in the world's oceans today, all of them travel great distances and take decades to mature. This makes turtles important indicators of ocean’s health. There are five species found off the Kwa-Zulu Natal Coast, namely, the Loggerhead, Leatherback, Hawksbill, Green and Olive Ridley turtles. Of these five species that occur in South African waters, only the Loggerhead and Leatherback females nest along our shores.
From November to February each summer, the lodge witnesses the amazing sight of giant Leatherback and Loggerhead turtles struggling up the beach to lay their eggs. These magnificent creatures, having swum the length of the African continent, return every year to the same stretch of coastline where they hatched to lay their 7-9 nests a year.
They use sandy beaches that are backed by high dunes with well developed primary vegetated dunes. The females emerge from the surf and rest in the wash zone on the beach. It is here when they assess the beach for any danger by lifting their heads and scanning the beach. Satisfied that there is no danger they then proceed up the beach to well above the high water mark.
Having found a suitable site at the vegetation edge the females commences by excavating a body pit with her fore flippers, this enables her to lie with the top of her carapace level with the beach. She then digs an egg cavity with her hind flippers. The egg pit is a flask shaped hole about 50-80 centimetres deep. A normal clutch constitutes 100-120 soft white shelled eggs which are deposited into this hole. When all of the eggs have been laid the female fills the hole with sand and kneads and presses the surface until the sand is packed hard. Once this is done she disguises the nest site by throwing sand with her fore flippers over the nesting area. Satisfied that her nest is safe she returns to the sea.
Leatherbacks can return up to seven times to lay eggs, while Loggerheads return up to four times in a single season.
Both loggerhead and leatherback turtle eggs take between 60-70 days to mature. Once ready to emerge the hatchlings cut their way out of the egg with a special egg tooth on the end of their beaks. After the bulk of the eggs have hatched the hatchlings start digging at the sides of the nest. The hatchlings can wait in the chamber leading up from the nest until conditions are optimal for their emergence. As soon as they emerge the hatchlings scramble to the sea – the process of the fight towards the ocean kick starts their metabolism and the battle ahead for the turtles.
The loggerhead turtles are endangered and the leatherback turtles are critically endangered. The turtle monitoring programme lead by the KZN Wildlife & Isimangaliso Wetland Park is imperative for their survival in South Africa. Thonga Beach Lodge runs one of the concessions that allow driving on the beach at low tide to look for the turtles during the Turtle Season. All the information gathered from the drives at Thonga is submitted to the monitoring programme.
In addition to the turtle drives, after dinner the staff at Thonga takes a nocturnal walk along the beach to look for the turtles.
DAYS 4 End of Arrangements
Depending on your ongoing arrangements you might have one last chance of an activity before checking out of Thonga beach lodge and departing on your transfer back to Coastal Cashews and carrying on with your itinerary.
Please see rates sheet for Package rates and additional Turtle Drive costs
Includes - 3 nights sharing accommodation Forest View room, 3 meals a day, teas & coffees, use of snorkelling equipment, guided walks, cultural tours, kayaking and sundowners on Lake Sibaya and nightly turtle walks (in season) and 1 Turtle Drive – weather & tidal dependant and non-refundable.
Excludes: All drinks, spa treatments, extra dives, Open Ocean experience, dive equipment hire and turtle tracking on vehicle – Nov – Feb, 4x4 transfers & park fees.
For more information, please contact Isibindi Africa Lodges.
Article courtesy of Isibindi Africa Lodges
The 12 suites are Robinson Crusoe-chic! Thatched en-suite rooms have been carefully constructed in the coastal dune forest to ensure minimum impact on the environment and maximum guest privacy. Each room has a double vanity, stone bath, indoor/outdoor shower, bar fridge, air-conditioning, ceiling fan & mosquito net.
The lodge serves breakfast, lunch & dinner on the deck in the shade of the forest. Sundowners can be enjoyed in the bar lounge or the cool deck under the Coastal Milkwood trees.
Seven species of marine turtles exist in the world's oceans today, all of them travel great distances and take decades to mature. This makes turtles important indicators of ocean’s health. There are five species found off the Kwa-Zulu Natal Coast, namely, the Loggerhead, Leatherback, Hawksbill, Green and Olive Ridley turtles. Of these five species that occur in South African waters, only the Loggerhead and Leatherback females nest along our shores.
From November to February each summer, the lodge witnesses the amazing sight of giant Leatherback and Loggerhead turtles struggling up the beach to lay their eggs. These magnificent creatures, having swum the length of the African continent, return every year to the same stretch of coastline where they hatched to lay their 7-9 nests a year.
They use sandy beaches that are backed by high dunes with well developed primary vegetated dunes. The females emerge from the surf and rest in the wash zone on the beach. It is here when they assess the beach for any danger by lifting their heads and scanning the beach. Satisfied that there is no danger they then proceed up the beach to well above the high water mark.
Having found a suitable site at the vegetation edge the females commences by excavating a body pit with her fore flippers, this enables her to lie with the top of her carapace level with the beach. She then digs an egg cavity with her hind flippers. The egg pit is a flask shaped hole about 50-80 centimetres deep. A normal clutch constitutes 100-120 soft white shelled eggs which are deposited into this hole. When all of the eggs have been laid the female fills the hole with sand and kneads and presses the surface until the sand is packed hard. Once this is done she disguises the nest site by throwing sand with her fore flippers over the nesting area. Satisfied that her nest is safe she returns to the sea.
Leatherbacks can return up to seven times to lay eggs, while Loggerheads return up to four times in a single season.
Both loggerhead and leatherback turtle eggs take between 60-70 days to mature. Once ready to emerge the hatchlings cut their way out of the egg with a special egg tooth on the end of their beaks. After the bulk of the eggs have hatched the hatchlings start digging at the sides of the nest. The hatchlings can wait in the chamber leading up from the nest until conditions are optimal for their emergence. As soon as they emerge the hatchlings scramble to the sea – the process of the fight towards the ocean kick starts their metabolism and the battle ahead for the turtles.
The loggerhead turtles are endangered and the leatherback turtles are critically endangered. The turtle monitoring programme lead by the KZN Wildlife & Isimangaliso Wetland Park is imperative for their survival in South Africa. Thonga Beach Lodge runs one of the concessions that allow driving on the beach at low tide to look for the turtles during the Turtle Season. All the information gathered from the drives at Thonga is submitted to the monitoring programme.
In addition to the turtle drives, after dinner the staff at Thonga takes a nocturnal walk along the beach to look for the turtles.
DAYS 4 End of Arrangements
Depending on your ongoing arrangements you might have one last chance of an activity before checking out of Thonga beach lodge and departing on your transfer back to Coastal Cashews and carrying on with your itinerary.
Please see rates sheet for Package rates and additional Turtle Drive costs
Includes - 3 nights sharing accommodation Forest View room, 3 meals a day, teas & coffees, use of snorkelling equipment, guided walks, cultural tours, kayaking and sundowners on Lake Sibaya and nightly turtle walks (in season) and 1 Turtle Drive – weather & tidal dependant and non-refundable.
Excludes: All drinks, spa treatments, extra dives, Open Ocean experience, dive equipment hire and turtle tracking on vehicle – Nov – Feb, 4x4 transfers & park fees.
For more information, please contact Isibindi Africa Lodges.
Article courtesy of Isibindi Africa Lodges