Protecting the vast unspoilt northern coast of KwaZulu -Natal, this 2500-sq km UNESCO World Heritage Site, incorporates an astonishing diversity of habitats including four separate Ramsar sites. South Africa’s largest freshwater lake lies within the borders of iSimangaliso Wetland Park, as does the continent’s largest estuarine system.
The world’s most southerly coral reefs lie off its shores, while the interior supports rare patches of fragile sand forest and large tracts of classic African savannah – and it’s all hemmed in by a pristine string of sandy beaches set below the world’s tallest (up to 170m high) forested dunes.
This habitat diversity is reflected by a higher count of vertebrate species than any other African conservation area. In addition to 129 terrestrial and aquatic mammals, the park supports 525 bird, 128 reptile, 50 amphibian and 991 marine and 48 freshwater fish species.