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.
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…
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…
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 …
Marine Life
Whale shark
The biggest fish in the sea, visiting in the warm months
In the warm months the big visitors arrive, and none is bigger than the whale shark, the largest fish in the sea and a gentle…