Activities in St Lucia Estuary

This area is the gateway to the Eastern Shores section of the Park, which contains some of the highest vegetated dunes in the world, extensive and diverse wetland systems, as well as coastal grasslands with associated fauna.

For bird watchers, there are numerous waterfowl, grassland, forest and sea birds to be found. Animals include leopard, buffalo, bushbuck, bushpig, warthog, crocodiles, hippo and red duiker.

Beaches in the area are not protected by shark nets, nor have lifeguards on duty. Please be sensible and exercise caution when bathing in the surf, as it is an exposed coastline which has dangerous currents.

There are two self-guided trails in the area, the Gwalagwala Trail and the Imvubu Trail. The Imvubu Trail is at least 1½ - 2 hours. On this trail one can see impala, grey duiker, zebra, blue wildebeest, reedbuck and kudu.

Deep Sea Fishing

St Lucia has a ski-boat club which controls all sea launches. Deep sea fishing charters can be arranged through the privately operated St Lucia Ski-boat Club on +27 (0) 35 - 590 1376.

St Lucia Croc Centre

The Croc Centre provides an informative display on the iSimangaliso Wetland Park and includes various pens containing crocodiles of varying sizes, a tea garden and curio shop. Learn about the importance of crocodiles in our ecosystems and watch the crocodiles being fed on Saturdays at 13:30 and Sundays at 11:30. The Centre is home to the Nile, long-snouted and dwarf crocodiles.

Santa Lucia Boat Tour

The Santa Lucia is a 90-seater launch with a viewing deck and a bar. This guided tour provides sightings of hippos, crocodiles and a variety of birdlife and beautiful scenery. Each tour lasts for about two hours and advanced booking is essential.

Fishing Regulations

The bag limits are as prescribed by the Marine Living Resources Act and information brochures are available from Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife offices. The following species form part of the overall bag limit: grunter, perch, kob and shad. All shad caught between 1 October and 30 November must be returned live to the water. In addition to the above, no cast-netting is allowed in the estuary. The only permissible method of fishing is with rod and line. Artificial lures are not allowed. Spinning is permitted in the sea 90 m beyond the estuary mouth but not in the estuary itself.

Bait Licences and Boat Registrations:

Licences for fishing and the collection of bait are required and are obtained from your nearest Post Office and St Lucia Post Office. These licences are no longer available from Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife Offices. All boats must be inspected and registered with Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife before use on the estuary and lake.