OCTOBER 2009

Rain, rain, go away, come again another day! We’ve loved seeing our landscape change from the brown colours of winter to the lovely shades of summers green – but enough with the rain already! Although the boat rides to the dive sites have been a bit miserable in the rain, it has been worth it!

The month began with sightings of no fewer than four whale sharks on the way out to the first dive of the day at Elusive, followed by another two, big whale sharks, the following day.

The bottlenose dolphins have been quite scarce this month, however during a dive at Gogo’s we were rewarded with two dolphins slowly swimming across the sand patch in front of us. Mia, Jaco and Caroline, who were on their first sea dive after having successfully completed their pool sessions of their Discover Scuba Diving course, were thrilled to see the dolphins. The thrills didn’t end there though – on our drive back to the beach we were surrounded by spinner dolphins which were travelling along with a group of humpback whales! What a magical day for everyone!

We had lots of other magical whale moments this month as the sightings continued. The photographs below were taken of a baby humpback whale which was really having a wonderful time breaching over and over again! Thanks to the Wiggin Family, Tom, Ellen, Kit and Lexy for these lovely photographs.

Turtle season usually begins mid-October, this is when we are blessed with sightings of loggerhead and leatherback turtles as they come ashore at night to lay their eggs. Loggerhead turtles are often seen during dives but leatherbacks are very rarely seen in the ocean as they live much deeper and are not normally found on the shallow reefs we dive. On the eighth of October, whilst on the way to Elusive, Darryl spotted something floating at the surface, on closer inspection he exclaimed that it was two loggerhead turtles mating! Quickly donning snorkeling gear Ondyne and the divers, Martin and Peter, quietly snorkeled up to the turtles to get a closer look. A minute later the female descended with the male loggerhead still clinging to her back. What an amazing sight to witness – something very rarely seen.

Some good news for the turtles is the sightings of big jellyfish on the beach and in the ocean. Jellyfish are an excellent food source for turtles, especially the leatherback turtles which only eat jellyfish and bluebottles and do not hunt for other food on the shallow reefs like the loggerhead turtles do. When we first arrived here we saw hundreds of jellyfish during the months of October and November, so many that you would swim around them as you descended and as you ascended from dives! So many would wash out along the shore that they formed a line of purple jelly “blobs” as far as you could see. We saw this happen in 2001, 2002, 2003 and still in 2004 but not as many. We have not seen these big jellyfish for the past four years, so it is quite special to see them again this year!

Another sighting that brought much excitement amongst the divers was that of a weedy scorpion fish. Ondyne first found it at Pineapple reef and then ten days later she found it again! Luckily this time the divers had their cameras with them and were able to get some fantastic photos of this very rarely seen fish!

Photograph by Michael Lehner Photograph by Timothy de Smedt

With the water temperatures being quite cold at around 19-21 degrees celcius, Darryl mentioned to the divers that it might even confuse the ragged tooth sharks and bring them into our area. These sharks are found around the eastern cape, in waters colder than what we experience along our coastline, but at the same time each year the males and females move northwards up the coast towards the Durban area, to a place well known for it’s shark diving, Aliwal Shoal. The sharks congregate here during their mating season and then the females continue northwards and the males return home. If our waters are still quite cool then we sometimes see both males and females in our area but by the time December arrives our water is too warm for the males and only the females remain here, for approximately three months. This time is spent resting before the females return home to the colder waters to have their babies.

During a dive at Gogo’s on the ninth divers saw three raggies, two males and one female. These were the first ragged tooth sightings of the season, so we are hoping that the water will warm up soon!

The following day Darryl saw a 3m tiger shark at Pineapple Reef – a quick sighting, before it disappeared. That day we had noticed a very strong fishy smell coming from somewhere around the Pineapple and Aerial Reef vicinity, the following day the smell was still very strong and we could see an oil slick on the surface of the water. The next day a dive at Aerial confirmed our suspicions that something must have died in the area. On the southern end of the reef Ondyne found the remains of a humpback whale calf – approximately five meters in length. It was a sad sight to see, knowing that this little calf did not make it back home but nature takes its course and very quickly the carcass was disappearing. It still had a fair bit of meat left on the carcass but we could see lots of bite and scratch marks on the soft bones. Each time we dived at Aerial we went to have a look and were amazed at how quickly it was broken up. Virtually all that remains now is a few rib bones and a small piece of the head. During this time there were a couple more sightings of tiger sharks – no wonder, with an easy meal right there for them.

On the last day of the month Ondyne, Patric, Michael and Ruth were 40 minutes into their dive at Pineapple Reef, when a large shark appeared alongside the reef. At first Ondyne thought it was a tiger shark, but very quickly realized it was a great white! She quickly got the divers attention so that they didn’t miss out on this absolutely incredible sighting. The great white, who was about three and a half meters in length, circled the divers, having a closer look. It then moved off, but just when everyone thought the area was clear, Ondyne felt an urgent tapping on her shoulder from Michael. The great white had reappeared! It circled the divers a few more times, each time getting closer and closer. The divers were all huddled behind Ondyne, who was keeping a very close watch on it from the front. It was about fifteen meters away until it changed its mind and started to move in closer. It stopped about two meters in front of the divers before turning and circling around again. Whew, talk about up close and personal! Ondyne decided this was enough attention and so the divers began ascending, all eyes keeping an extremely close watch on this incredible predator of the seas. As soon as the divers reached the surface Ondyne called out to Clive that there was a great white in the water. Speedily the divers grabbed onto the boat while Ondyne kept her head in the water watching the great white slowly cruise around the boat. It hung around while the divers clambered aboard, then went out of Ondyne’s sight. Never before had she been so glad to grab hold of Clive’s hand and to be pulled into the boat!! Wow, that was a first for all the divers! It was Michael and Ruth’s first ever South African sea dive, and an early 75 birthday present for Patric! We don’t think he’s keen to get another one of those next year!

Congratulations to the following divers:

The Gips family, Joe & Jenny Brink, Gey Kriek, David Bacher, Michael Warnes, Sam Degg,

The Hempel family, Jaco & Caroline Koolman and Mia Valliluoto

For completing their PADI Discover Scuba Diving Courses

Peter and Ben Gips

For completing their PADI Open Water course

Yours in diving,

Darryl, Clive, Michelle & Ondyne

The Rocktail Dive Team

The Park, lying on the interface between tropical and sub-tropical biota with varied geomorphic and climatic conditions, supports an exceptional ecological and biological diversity, especially of wetlands.

The distribution of the vegetation is largely determined by topography, moisture regimes and edaphic conditions. The system is almost pristine and still functions well. It is a rich mosaic of savanna grassland, thickets and woodlands; grasslands: low-lying, hygrophilous and floodplain; sedge swamps, freshwater reed and papyrus swamps; riverine woodlands, swamp forests and forested dunes; the lake with its uniquely variable salinity regime; underwater macrophyte beds, saline reed swamps, saltmarshes and mangroves; sandy and rocky shores, coral reefs and submarine canyons.

The Park is at the southernmost end of the Maputaland Centre of Endemism (van Wyk, 1993) which extends from the Limpopo to the St Lucia estuaries, east of the Lubombo mountains. It is one of two foci of high endemism in the Tongaland-Pondoland Regional Mosaic described by White (1983). The flora is diverse, having 152 families, 734 genera and 2,173 species. 98% of Maputaland Centre species, approximately 9% of the flora of South Africa and 31% of the flora of KwaZulu-Natal, have been recorded in the Park (Scott-Shaw, 1994). 32 species are listed in the South Africa Red Data Book for Plants and 8 species are contained in CITES appendices. 6 species are endemic to KwaZulu-Natal and 3 species are known only from the Park.

In the Maputaland Centre at least 168 species and subspecies are considered endemic or near-endemic (van Wyk,1993). Of these, 44 (27%) are found in the Park. The following species are of phytogeographic interest: Helichrysopsis septentrionale (Maputaland endemic), four regional endemic genera (Brachychloa, Ephippiocarpa, Helichrysopsis and Inhambanella), Restio zuluensis, an endemic, Wolffiella welwitschii, a recently discovered endemic, the smallest flowering plant in southern Africa and Thalassodendron ciliatum, the only marine flowering plant found on the south African coastline. A new small grassland aloe with affinities to Aloe parviflora awaits description. It is endemic to the Park and confined to the Eastern Shores area. Kalanchoe luciae lucia, described recently, and Rhus kwazuluana, are also endemic to the Park. 136 species are at their southern limit and there are some notable disjunct distributions.

The Mkusi River swamps are diverse and undisturbed with a forest of Ficus, Voacanga, Ilex, Uera and Syzygium species. The wetlands of the estuarine system include freshwater Phragmites australis – Cyperus papyrus swamp which covers approximately 7,000 ha in the Park, forming the largest protected wetland in South Africa; saline reed swamp on alluvium and islands in Lake St Lucia, dominated by Phragmites mauritianus; sedge swamp, mainly in the Mfabeni swamp, characterised by Eleocharis limosa; salt marsh dominated by Sporobolus virginicus and Paspalum vaginatum with Juncus kraussii (ncema, commercially used by local people), and nutrient-rich submerged macrophyte beds on saline lake-bed soils.

Aquatic vegetation such as the pondweed Potamogiton pectinatus develops in the lake after it has been low for a long period, which supports much birdlife. Grassland types include hydrophilous grassland on sandy riverine soils dominated by Acroceras macrum and Ischaemum arcuatum; high-lying grasslands on sand – a fire-subclimax community, palm-veld with Hyphaene coriacea and Phoenix reclinata, also a fire-subclimax community; Echinochloa floodplain grassland; and low-lying grasslands on clay.
Open woodlands include mixed Acacia/broad-leaved woodland of Hyphaene coriacea and Ziziphus mucronata and mixed Acacia woodland of Acacia nigrescens, A.gerrardii, A.tortilis, A.nilotica, which provide grazing and browsing for herbivores.

Closed woodlands are found on low-lying drainage lines and older alluvial soils, especially along the Mkuze and Msunduzi rivers. They include riverine Ficus sycomorus and Acacia xanthophloea; mixed Acacia closed woodland of A.tortilis and A.nilotica; broad-leaved woodland of Combretum molle and Zizphus mucronata, and Terminalia sericea-Strychnos woodland and scrub.

Thickets of mixed microphyllous and broad-leaved woodland subject to salt spray and wind occur on seaward-facing dune slopes with Eugenia, Brachylaena, Euclea, Diosporos and Mimusops species.

Forest types include swamp forest, rare in South Africa, covering 3,095ha (64% of the South African total) dominated by Ficus tricopoda, hygrophilous forest and Barringtonia racemosa forest. These occur on organic soils in hypo-saline drainage lines and marshes around freshwater lakes usually flooded with slow-flowing water after rains; mangroves, dominated by Bruguieria gymnorrhiza and Avicennia marina; the uniquely well developed coastal dune forest of Mimusops caffra, Grewia occidentalis and Psychotria capensis which can reach 30m high and has a dense shrub layer with many lianas; sand forest on relict dunes of highly-leached sands with Newtonia hildebrandtii and Cleistanthus schlechteri; and coastal lowland forest growing to 30m high on highly leached sands with Strychnos decussata and S. gerrardii with species of Terminalia, Balanaites and Sclerocarpia, also plantations of Pinus elliottii.

In the marine flora, 325 seaweeds have been recorded in the Park, nearly 78% of the total seaweeds of the Kwazulu-Natal coastline. A new species, Cellophycus condominius, and a parasitic red alga, Calocopsis smithenae, have recently been found; also beds of kelp Ecklonia biruncinata, deep in submarine canyons.

The outstanding diversity of habitats, terrestrial, wetland, coastal and aquatic, supports a wide variety of animal species, some at the northern and many at the southern limit of their range.

The fringing coral reefs are among the southernmost in the world. The lakes, swamps and shallows comprise the most productive estuarine prawn nursery and marine nursery of the South African coast.

There are 97 species of terrestrial mammals in the Park including the internationally threatened (reintroduced) black rhinoceros Diceros bicornis minor (CR: 13 in the Eastern Shores and 95 in the adjoining Mkusi Game Reserve), and 150 white rhinoceros Ceratotherium simum. The Park has the largest single populations in South Africa of hippopotamus Hippopotamus amphibius (VU: about 700), the endemic red duiker Cephalophus natalensis natalensis and southern reedbuck Redunca arudinum. It also has the largest publicly protected populations in KwaZulu-Natal of the endemic Tonga red squirrel Paraxerus palliatus tongensis, cane rat Thryonomys swinderianus and four-toed elephant shrew Petrodromus tetradactylus, thicktailed bushbaby Otolemur crassicaudatus, samango monkey Cercopithecus mitis, side-striped jackal Canis adustus, banded mongoose Mungus mungo, brown hyaena, Hyaena brunnea and bushbuck Tragelaphus scriptus, The cheetah Acinonyx jubatus (VU) was reintroduced in 2003 and the African wild dog Cuon alpinus (CR) was reintroduced to neighboring Mkuzi Reserve in 2005.

The Park is also the only protected area in KwaZulu-Natal known to have populations of nine species of bat: Eygptian fruit Rousettus aegyptiacus, Geoffroy’s horseshoe Rhinolophus clivosus, shorteared trident Cloeotis percivali (VU), butterfly Chalinolobus variegatus, Schlieffen’s Nycticeius schleiffeni, lesser woolly Kerivoula lanosa, Ansorge’s reetailed, Tadarida ansorgei, Angola freetailed T. condylura and the hairy slitfaced bat Nycterus hispida, the last being endemic to South Africa.

There are also two shrews, the lesser red musk shrew Crocidura hirta and greater dwarf shrew Suncus lixus; and two gerbils, bushveld Tatera leucogaster and highveld T. brantsii. The Park also contains populations of two other species endemic to South Africa: Hottentot golden mole Amblysomus hottentotus and Natal red hare Pronolagus crassicaudatus.

All 32 marine mammal species are both internationally threatened and listed in CITES appendices. Populations of bottlenose Tursiops truncates and T. aduncus, humpback Sousa plumbea and S. chinensis and spinner Stenella longirostris dolphins live in the waters of the Park. Winter migrations of humpback whale Megaptera novaeangliae (VU) and southern right whale Eubalaena australis can be seen (Hoyt, 2005).

Terrestrial invertebrates in the Park are known to be numerous and diverse, supporting much of the conspicuous fauna. There are 196 species of butterflies (49% of Kwazulu-Natal species), 52 species of dragonflies (23% of South African species), 139 species of dung-beetles, 27 species of hole-nesting wasps, 64 species of biting flies (64% of South African tabanids), 58 species of chafer beetles (cetonids) and 41 species of land snails.

The herpetofauna is rich: 50 amphibians and 109 reptiles: one crocodile, 12 species of Chelonidae, 53 snakes and 42 lizards and chameleons. Populations of 5 amphibians are endemic to KwaZulu-Natal, 2 being nationally threatened, also 6 internationally and 20 nationally threatened reptile species; 16 being listed in CITES appendices. They include Bouton’s coral rag skink Cryptoblepharus boutoni africanus, found only here in South Africa. The Mozambique shovelsnout snake and three South African endemics: two burrowing skinks, the striped Stelotes vestigifer and Fitzsimon’s S. fitzsimonsi and Setaro’s dwarf chameleon Bradypodion setaroi (EN), are found only in the coastal dune system.

The Park is the main South African breeding ground for loggerhead Caretta caretta (EN), and leatherback turtles Dermochelys coriacea (CR), with
estimated populations of 2500 and 750 females respectively. Non-breeding green turtles Chelonia mydas (EN) are also resident and hawksbill Eretmochelys imbricata (CR) and olive ridley Lepidochelys olivacea (EN) turtles visit the coast.

The population of Nile crocodiles Crocodylus niloticus of approximately 1,500 animals over 2m long is one of the largest in Africa.

Marine and estuarine invertebrates are the most important group of aquatic invertebrates. The coral reefs of the Park occur in the protected Kosi reefs (Northern Complex), the public Sodwana Bay reefs (Central Complex) and the protected Southern Complex which is threatened by dredging in the estuary. They include 129 species of coral and are particularly important for their conservation and scientific value. Recorded within the Park are 43 scleractinian (hard coral) and 10 alcyonacean (soft coral) genera, 14 sponges, 4 tunicates, 812 species of marine and estuarine molluscs (72% of Kwazulu-Natal coastal species), including the giant clams Tricdaca maxima and T.squamosa, and 198 species of Crustacea.

The ichthyofauna contains nearly 85% of the reef fish species endemic to the west Indian Ocean region (399 species), notably the coelacanth Latimeria chalumnae, known from Devonian fossils 370 million years old but only discovered, off South Africa, in 1938. 2 specimens in 1991 and 3 specimens at Sodwana Bay in 2000 have been seen in the marine portion of the Park (Venter et al. 2009). There are also several commercially important endemics such as the slinger Charysoblephous puniceus. 991 species have been recorded, including summer aggregations of ragged-toothed shark Tiburon odontaspis and whale shark Rhynchodon typus. The 212 estuarine species include the large Zambezi shark Carcharhinus leucas.

The fresh water fish fauna comprises 55 species including 6 internationally threatened and 16 nationally threatened species, including the St. Lucia mullet Liza luciae (EN) and, in Lake Sibaya, the endemic Sibaya goby Silhouettea sibayi (VU).

The Park encloses the largest estuarine prawn nursery area in South Africa.

The very diverse avifauna numbers 521 species – 60% of the South African total, approximately 200 of which are water birds which the lakes attract in very large numbers. The 339 breeding species include 23 of the 97 migrants. There are four species endemic to South Africa and 47 endemic or nearly endemic to the region. The Park is an important breeding area for the pinkbacked pelican Pelecanus rufescens, white pelican P. onocrotalus, goliath heron Ardea goliath, rufous-bellied heron Butorides rufiventris, yellow-billed stork Mycteria ibis, pygmy goose Nettapus auritus, African fish-eagle Haliaeetus vocifer, collared pratincole Glareola pratincola, Caspian tern Hydroprogne caspia and grey-rumped swallow Pseudohirondo griseopyga. The Park is also habitat for major South African populations of greater and lesser flamingo Phoenicoepterus ruber, and P. minor, saddle-billed stork Ephippiorhyncus senegalensis, African Spoonbill Platalea alba, banded snake-eagle Circaetus fasciolatus, black harrier Circus maurus (VU), osprey Pandion haliaetus, avocet Recurvirostra avocetta, Woodward’s batis Batis fratrum, black-rumped button-quail Turnix hottentotta, Natal nightjar Caprimulgus natalensis, black coucal Centropus bengalensis, Nectarinia veroxii, and shorttailed pipit Anthus brachyurus.

The coastal forest holds the restricted range species Rudd’s apalis Apalis ruddi, Neergaard’s sunbird Nectarinia neergaardi and pink-throated twinspot Hypargos margaritatus; also the rare Natal thrush Zoothera guttata (EN). The Park is one of the world’s Endemic Bird Areas. 62 species are listed in the South African Red Data Book and 73 species are listed in CITES appendices.

According to http://www.isimangaliso.com

Lake St Lucia is Africa’s largest estuary
The greatest congregation of hippo and crocodiles in South Africa The last significant breeding ground for the giant leatherback and loggerhead turtles
8 interlinking ecosystems
3 major lake systems
350 kms of water surface
220 kms of coastline and beaches
190 kms of marine reserve
100 species of coral
1 200 species of fish
25 000 year old coastal dunes
700 years of traditional fish traps
36 snake species
80 dragonfly species
110 butterfly species
526 bird species

Don’t know if it is all true but it comes from http://www.kositourism.co.za

In Kosi you can find the biggest mammal (whales),
the largest land mammal (elephants),
the largest sea turtles (leatherback turtle),
the largest fish (whaleshark),
the smallest antelope (suni),
dolphins,
a Pels fishing owl,
a Palmnut vulture,

the best birdwatching,
the best fishing,
the best diving,
untouched coral reefs,
untouched culture,
pristine nature

and the list does not end here…

We regularly see this snake around our house. It is small, about 30cm

This was an incredible day. Whale shark, Whales, Dolphins, Turtles, Raggie shark and two incredible dives with visibility of 30m. It was like a swimming pool.

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Maputaland Bush Lodge

Thanks Isabelle for this lovely lunch. You guys really looked after us well.

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Maputaland Bush Lodge

Mozambique has declared its first Marine Protected Area (MPA) that now links with the iSimangaliso Wetland Park to create Africa’s first transfrontier marine conservation area.

This now extends along 300 kms of unbroken coastline and pristine beaches from Maputo Bay in Mozambique to Cape St Lucia, the southern boundary of the iSimangaliso Park in South Africa.

The Mozambique MPA of 678kms² includes Inhaca and Portugese islands, the Maputo Special Reserve, and stretches three nautical miles into the sea.

Southern Mozambique is a vital nursery for commercially important fish stocks with fish, larvae and eggs carried in south-flowing currents into South Africa’s iSimangaliso. “Protection of these will benefit both countries and iSimangaliso directly” said Zaloumis. Park CEO and Chairman of the Ponta do Oura/Kosi Bay TFCA Task Team.
The long-term vision for the marine components is to create Africa’s first trans -boundary marine World Heritage Site. Mozambique has placed its new MPA on it’s tentative list, the first step towards formal application for listing with UNESCO whose technical team will evaluate the proposal.

The iSimangaliso Wetland Park was listed as South Africa’s first World Heritage Site in December 1999.

The Ponta do Ouro-Kosi Bay Marine Transfrontier Conservation Area is one of five such initiatives – coastal and interior – under the Lubombo TFCA that aim to consolidate the unique biodiversity of the Maputaland Centre of Endemism and link the elephant populations of both countries.

Mozambique Tourism Minister Mr Fernando Sumbana said “this was a vital step in protecting marine turtles that nest in high densities along the pristine beaches of the Maputo Special Reserve, other rare or endangered species, marine mammals and ecosystems.”

Activities like semi-industrial and industrial fishing, fishing on the coral reefs, fishing with explosives, driving of motorised vehicles on the beach and building other than approved developments are now prohibited.

For more information re: Reserva Marinha Parcial da Ponta do Ouro contact:
Dr Bartolomeu Soto
Director: Ministry of Tourism
Unidade de Coordenancao das Areas de Conservacao Transfronteira
Tel: + 258 (82) 302 362/303 616
Mobile: + 258 (82) 302 9300
Email: bsoto

For more information re: iSimangaliso Wetland Park contact
Andrew Zaloumis
Chief Executive Officer
iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority
Tel: + 27 (35) 250 1633
Mobile: + 27 (82) 788 3000
Email: andrew

The best summer spots according to Getaway staffers.

http://www.getaway.co.za/content/getaway/magazine/feature.asp?id=1397&fe_page=2

Maputaland Bush Camp, KZN, chosen as top destination by Khumo Ntoane

The northern part of Maputaland appears uncharted and vast. The landscape folds, elevates and flattens out. It’s abundantly vegetated with swamp forests and wetlands. It has lakes, rivers and a rich coastline. The attractions in this magical space are simple; it’s a wonderland to anyone with an active imagination. This rustic slice of the past is doing its bit to keep the 21st century at bay.

The camp is on a hill overlooking a hippo pool, 16 kays south of Kosi Bay. Owners Willie and Isabella Labuschagne lived in a tent for six months while they built the camp themselves. Their aim was to have as little impact on the natural surroundings as possible.

The bush camp sleeps 10 to 14 people. En suite huts are made from reeds and thatch. The watersaving shower among the trees is rudimentary. To operate it, you pour buckets of water into a sack-like contraption with a shower head before hoisting it into a tree with a pulley. Solar panels generate power for lights in the evening and gas is used for cooking.

The sound of a vehicle is rare and you need a 4×4 to get there. The Labuschagnes have a stable full of horses for exploring the area. Fishers collect their catches in mekoro and in the elaborate fish traps at Kosi Bay. Reeds are harvested along the edges of the lakes and the fields hoed.

This is a great hiking destination, with only hippos posing some danger. The animals tend to be shy, but there are plenty of birds to be seen. Canoeing on the Siyadla River, well-fed crocodiles surface with calm precision. As one paddler said, ‘Even the crocodiles are happy in Maputaland.’

The locals like to refer to this corner of the country as paradise – and I have to agree.

Tel 072-727-3079 or e-mail mail or web http://www.maputaland.net.