Leatherback turtle
The enormous leatherback is the largest sea turtle on Earth, and every summer a lucky few visitors watch one nest on Sodwana’s beaches. Like the loggerheads, leatherbacks return between November and March, and the beaches here host one of the longest-running turtle monitoring programmes anywhere.
Leatherback nesting is witnessed only on a guided night walk with a licensed guide, and always at a respectful distance.
When and where to see them
Leatherbacks share the loggerheads’ season, from late November to March, and are seen on the same guided turtle walks. They are scarcer than loggerheads, which makes an encounter with one of these giants all the more memorable.
More marine life
Rays & reef sharks
Residents of the sand and the walls
Reef fish
Clouds of colour on every dive
Coral reefs
The southernmost coral reefs in Africa
Dolphin
Pods seen year round from boats and the beach