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On 27 april 1897 St Lucia was declared a game reserve. The conservation area was a 35000 hectare lake with a 1km strip of land surrounding the lake. At a later stage other conservation areas were added. On 1 December 1999 UNESCO declared the lake and adjacent coastal areas a world heritage site. The 328 000 hectare reserve was south africa’s first world heritage site and encompasses 5 five major ecological zones.
Makakatana Bay Lodge remains the only privately owned lodge situated within this world heritage site.
The Greater St Lucia Wetland Park encompasses 5 major ecological zones:
Marine Ecosystem: Warm sea, coral reefs teaming with fish, whales and dolphins.
Eastern Shores Ecosystem: Golden beaches flanked by some of the highest vegetated sand dunes in the world, grassy plains and a variety of wetlands.
Lake St Lucia: Africa's largest natural estuary, populated by hippopotamus, crocodile and water birds.
Mkuze Swamps: A reed and papyrus wetland
Western Shores: Dry savannah and thornveld with rich deposits of fossils.
>> Click here to view the full ecology of the World Heritage Site |
