Durban - An adrenalin addict would be pumped if he or she saw the itinerary that was handed to me. It also proved that tourists to the iSimangaliso Wetland Park can never complain there is not enough to do.
Could anyone really get through all the activities in the allotted time, I wondered. I was certainly up for the challenge.
A boat trip, a horse ride, a drive through the eastern shores to Cape Vidal, sundowners at Catalina Bay on the lake, a night-time game drive, a drive via Makakatana Bay Lodge, on the western shores, to uMkhuze Game Reserve (also within the park), a stint on a mountain bike, a walk in a fig forest, more game drives, whale watching, a bird walk… all that between 1pm on Wednesday and 1pm on Saturday.
The weather did not do its bit to co-operate in the grand venture but, hey, it was great fun.
On the day we hit the ocean, with Advantage Tours, the whales were well behaved. No majestic breaches or splashing the customers, but even so the sight of a whale coming to investigate, then swimming alongside or diving beneath the boat, was a thrill. One youngster seemed to be challenging us to a race, some swam side by side, while spouts in the water from whale blowholes showed there were several out there.
The people on an earlier departure told us they had seen about 15 breaches close to the boat, and skipper Danie Bennett showed us large parasites he had collected in a specimen jar. These slough off when the whales perform their high jinks, and are sent to a laboratory for tests on whether the whales are interbreeding.
Some people are lucky, others not so – there is never a guarantee in nature. Do take seasickness tablets if you suffer from a queasy stomach. Mind you, all thoughts of feeling nauseous often disappear when the gentle giants put on a performance.
A gallop along the seashore on horseback would no doubt have been invigorating, but life in the saddle in the rain is not pleasant, so the ride did not come off.
The night-time game drive with Shakabarker was splendid. Buffalo were enjoying the comfort of the warm roads in the chill. We felt bad disturbing their contentment, but they shambled off without a grumble.
Our game guide, Sakhile Dube, had the sexiest voice. I could imagine his mellifluous tones on the radio. We saw bush pig, porcupine, several hippos, bush babies, a genet and many antelope species, to name just some, but his sharp eyes also picked out the tiny endemic Sitara’s dwarf chameleon.
Shoreline’s Boat and Walking Safari’s (through Heritage Tours) trips, on 15-seater boats, provide an opportunity to interact with skipper Stacey Farrell and crew.
What is different about the cruises is that they offer guests an opportunity to get out of the boat and walk on the shores of the estuary. We were told we could expect to get our feet wet and muddy, but a strong wind meant we could not participate in such an interlude.
We indulged in cream scones, orange juice and Champagne to console ourselves.
Several people mentioned what a great birding guide Themba Mthembu was, but sadly the rain was tipping down. Another time, maybe.
* Contact: Advantage Tours at 035 590 1259 or e-mail [email protected]
* Shakabarker at 035 590 1162 or e-mail [email protected]
* Shoreline Boat and Walking Safaris at 035 590 1555 or e-mail [email protected]
* Bhangazi Horse Safaris at 083 792 7899 or e-mail [email protected]
* Themba Mthembu at 071 413 3243.
WHALE FACTS
After leaving the icy Antarctic, humpback whales migrate along the KwaZulu-Natal coastline between May and October, on their way to the waters off Mozambique and Madagascar.
At birth a calf weighs about 700kg and is up to 7m long.
It drinks up to 600 litres of milk a day to be able to build up enough blubber to protect its body for the journey to the Antarctic.
Humpback whales are the singing whales, with the males performing haunting songs, probably in order to attract a mate.
In addition to the humpbacks, southern right, Bryde’s, sperm and minke whales, as well as whale sharks, are sometimes seen, as are dolphins and sea turtles in their breeding season. - Sunday Tribune