What you'll see, above and below the water
Sodwana Bay is as rich above the waterline as below it. Browse the wildlife of this coast by category, or search for something you are hoping to see, from nesting turtles and passing humpback whales to the birds of the dune forest.
Trees & Plants
Coastal dune forest
Among the tallest vegetated dunes in the world
Sodwana’s beaches are backed by high forested dunes, part of the ancient coastal dune forest that makes this stretch of the i…
Birds
Coastal-forest birds
Superb birding in the dune forest
The high dune forest behind Sodwana’s beaches offers superb birding for anyone with a pair of binoculars and a slow morning. …
Marine Life
Coral reefs
The southernmost coral reefs in Africa
The warm Agulhas Current sustains the southernmost coral reefs in Africa here, and they are extraordinary: soft corals in eve…
Marine Life
Dolphin
Pods seen year round from boats and the beach
Pods of dolphins are seen off Sodwana throughout the year, riding the swell close to the launch and delighting everyone on an…
Mammals & Reptiles
Hippo
Resident in Lake Sibaya, just inland of the bay
Lake Sibaya is home to hippo, which spend their days in the water and emerge to graze at night. They are a reminder that this…
Marine Life
Humpback whale
Winter migrants passing close inshore
From June to November, humpback whales stream past Sodwana on their winter migration between the Antarctic and the warm breed…
Marine Life
Leatherback turtle
The largest of all sea turtles, nesting on these beaches
The enormous leatherback is the largest sea turtle on Earth, and every summer a lucky few visitors watch one nest on Sodwana’…
Marine Life
Loggerhead turtle
A summer nesting visitor to Sodwana's beaches
From late November to March, loggerhead turtles crawl out of the surf at night to lay their eggs above the tideline, some hav…
Marine Life
Manta ray
Graceful giants of the warm current
Manta rays pass through Sodwana’s waters in the warm months, sometimes gliding over the reefs where divers can watch them whe…
Mammals & Reptiles
Nile crocodile
The lake's ancient predator
Alongside its hippo, Lake Sibaya shelters Nile crocodiles, the ancient predators of Southern Africa’s waterways. Seeing one b…
Marine Life
Rays & reef sharks
Residents of the sand and the walls
Rays rest on the sand between the reefs, turtles cruise the walls and the occasional shark passes through, with a lucky few d…
Marine Life
Reef fish
Clouds of colour on every dive
Sodwana’s reefs are alive with clouds of reef fish of every colour, from tiny anthias shimmering over the coral heads to the …