There were some adorable babies in this big breeding herd – at least 50 individuals strong – that crossed the road in front of us in a hurry past the eThaleni Picnic Spot.
Remember that DeWetsWild will gladly assist you with reservations and guided tours of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park if you’d like to visit this wonderful place as well.
One of the most memorable sightings of my recent tour of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park was of a small pod of Humpback Whales playing just offshore of the St. Lucia estuary one overcast morning.
Humpbacked Whale tail-slamming off St. Lucia
Humpbacked Whale fin-slapping off St. Lucia
Humpbacked Whale tail-slamming off St. Lucia
Humpbacked Whale fin-slapping off St. Lucia
Megaptera novaeangliae
Humpback Whales occur throughout the world’s oceans at different times of the year. Locally they migrate past our shores from about June to overwinter in the tropical waters off both Africa’s Atlantic and Indian Ocean coastlines, returning to their Antarctic feeding grounds from about November at the start of the austral summer and covering as much as 16,000km on these journeys. Humpback Whales feed mainly on krill, other plankton and schools of fish, gulped down in enormous quantities after being encircled by “curtains” of bubbles released from the blowholes of the circling whales. These whales are well known for their spectacular breaches out of the water as well as their playful tail-slamming and fin-slapping behaviour (as captured in the above video). They may dive up to 150m deep and stay underwater for up to 15 minutes. While usually seen in small groups and even as single cows with their latest calf, Humpback Whales may at times congregate in pods up to 200 strong in good feeding grounds.
While in the more tropical climes the females give birth to single calves after an almost year-long gestation. The calves will suckle for up to a year, though they start eating at about 6 months of age. Females calf every two years and mating also takes place in the tropical latitudes during winter. At birth the calves weigh about a metric ton and measure more than 4 metres in length; fully grown they will weigh approximately 40,000kg and reach up to 18m in length! It is estimated that Humpback Whales live to at least 50 years of age.
Citing an increasing population estimated at approximately 84,000 mature animals (of a total of 135,000) worldwide, the IUCN lists the Humpback Whale as being of least concern. When whaling was banned in 1966 there was probably only 5,000 Humpback Whales left.
Over the years we’ve been fortunate to see these enigmatic creatures a number of times while visiting some of South Africa’s wild places, most notably the Garden Route National Park and, of course, iSimangaliso. DeWetsWild will assist you with reservations and guided tours of these places and even arrange whale watching excursions with experienced skippers if you are interested in seeing Humpback Whales up close.
While strolling around the grounds of Mantuma Rest Camp in the uMkhuze Game Reserve section of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park earlier this month I came across this incredible creature, identified as one of the Flatface Longhorn Beetles with the kind assistance of the experts in the “Insects only – Southern Africa” Facebook group.
While it was impressively big (the body was about 4cm long), boasted very long feelers and its colours perfectly imitated a bird dropping, it was the hairy feet I found most intriguing. It is possible that the “hairs” has some sensory function, but from a distance it makes the beetle look as if it is wearing mittens!
Flatface Longhorn Beetle (Lasiopezus longimanus), identified with the kind assistance of the “Insects only – Southern Africa” facebook page.
Flatface Longhorn Beetle (Lasiopezus longimanus), identified with the kind assistance of the “Insects only – Southern Africa” facebook page.
Flatface Longhorn Beetle (Lasiopezus longimanus), identified with the kind assistance of the “Insects only – Southern Africa” facebook page.
Finding a Lesser Moorhen at a newly formed pan of water in the Eastern Shores section of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park was a real highlight of my most recent visit to the “Place of Miracles and Wonders”, as it brings me to 609 species of birds seen in South Africa.
Lesser Moorhen
Lesser Moorhen
Lesser Moorhen
Lesser Moorhen
Lesser Moorhen
Lesser Moorhen
Lesser Moorhen
Paragallinula (Gallinula) angulata
The Lesser Moorhen inhabits freshwater wetlands ranging from periodically flooded grasslands to permanent swamps and marshes, showing a strong preference for areas densely covered by emergent vegetation and limited open water. They’re omnivores, feeding on water plants and aquatic invertebrates.
Lesser Moorhens start breeding after the first floods, building their cup-shaped grass nests on a platform of flattened living grass, reeds or sedges. The female is responsible for most of the incubation duties, with the clutch of up to nine eggs (though about 6 is more usual) hatching after about 3 weeks. The chicks start flying at about 5 weeks of age, but remain with their parents up to about 2 months old. Fully grown they’ll weigh about 135g and measure approximately 23cm in length. Lesser Moorhens are very shy and seldom venture into the open.
(Remember that DeWetsWild will gladly assist you with reservations and guided tours of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park if you’d like to visit this wonderful place as well.)
A wonderful consequence of the water wonderland that is the iSimangaliso Wetland Park now, is the incredible numbers of amphibians evident throughout the Park. I’m featuring just a few of them here.
Driving around the Park you cannot escape the calls of the Painted Reed Frogs, though they’re almost impossible to see without stepping out of your vehicle and searching for them (which isn’t allowed, due to the presence of dangerous animals). I was therefore very impressed with myself when I saw this Painted Reed Frog as I was driving by. See how small it is!
Can you spot the Painted Reed Frog?
Painted Reed Frog at a temporary pan on the eastern shores of Lake Saint Lucia
Painted Reed Frog at a temporary pan on the eastern shores of Lake Saint Lucia
While using the facilities at one of the stopping points on the Western Shores of Lake Saint Lucia I noticed this Peeping Tom hiding in a corner. It is a Red Toad and I left him there to amuse the next visitor as well…
Red Toad in an ablution block in the Western Shores section of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park
Platannas seem to have quickly colonized all the newly formed stretches of water in the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, but usually quickly dive under water at the slightest disturbance. It was pleasing to find one that wasn’t too shy to pose for a few photo’s.
Platanna
Platanna
It would be better if it cultivated a more apprehensive disposition though, because Platannas are on the menu of many waterbirds and in the 10 days I spent in iSimangaliso on this latest trip I saw many a Platanna disappearing down a gullet.
Reed Cormorant with a Platanna
After dark, hundreds of immature African Bull Frogs emerged onto the roads, especially following rainy days.
Immature African Bull Frog on a road in the iSimangaliso Wetland Park
Kumasinga Hide at uMkhuze Game Reserve has turned into a paradise for Southern Foam Nest Frogs, with dozens of the cute little creatures clinging to the hide’s framework, with a few foam nests already constructed over the water and a few still in the making (allowing me to make a video of the process).
The toes of a Foam Nest Frog
Foam Nest Frog in Kumasinga Hide
Foam Nest Frog in Kumasinga Hide
Foam Nest Frog in Kumasinga Hide
Foam Nest Frog in Kumasinga Hide
Foam Nest Frog in Kumasinga Hide
Foam Nest Frogs mating
Foam Nest Frog nests
Foam Nest Frogs mating
Foam Nest Frogs mating
Remember that DeWetsWild will gladly assist you with reservations and guided tours of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park if you’d like to visit this wonderful place as well.
One of our very first sightings in the Manyeleti Nature Reserve – shortly after settling in at Ndzhaka Camp – was of two young Leopards. Their mother had caught an antelope for each of them and hoisted these into different trees so that the two cubs could eat in peace. One had a bushbuck, the other an impala. It was amazing being so close to the feeding leopards. They truly are beautiful animals.
Young leopard in Manyeleti Nature Reserve
Young leopard in Manyeleti Nature Reserve
Young leopard in Manyeleti Nature Reserve
Young leopard in Manyeleti Nature Reserve
Young leopard in Manyeleti Nature Reserve
The next afternoon while enjoying our drive from Buffelshoek Camp we eventually found ourselves back at the Leopard sighting just after sunset. Both the cubs were still there – in separate trees – and their mother joined them, snacking on the leftovers of the bushbuck. Below two Spotted Hyenas were waiting for scraps falling from the tree above.
Leopard Cub in Manyeleti Nature Reserve
Leopard Cub in Manyeleti Nature Reserve
Female Leopard feeding on a bushbuck carcass in the Manyeleti Nature Reserve
Spotted Hyena, Manyeleti Nature Reserve
Getting up close to feeding leopards in the Manyeleti Nature Reserve
Female Leopard feeding on a bushbuck carcass in the Manyeleti Nature Reserve
Female Leopard feeding on a bushbuck carcass in the Manyeleti Nature Reserve
In the fading light I eventually had to switch to video. The female would stop feeding every now and then, growling ferociously at something unseen in the dense undergrowth. Minutes later the source of her irritation revealed itself as a male Leopard, in all likelihood the father of the cubs. He climbed into the other tree to feed on the remains of the Impala carcass. In 45 years of frequent visits to our wild places I have never seen four leopards in the same spot. An incredible experience, and I hope this video gives you a sense of that!
Heading back to Buffelshoek Camp in the dark we encountered more Spotted Hyenas in the road.
Shortly after leaving Ndzhaka Camp on our first guided morning drive in the Manyeleti Nature Reserve earlier this month, we found a pack of Painted Wolves, better known as African Wild Dogs, in the road. There was great excitement among the younger Dogs in the pack as the adults had just returned to them with meat from a fresh kill, and all of them were in a very playful mood. We got some wonderful photographs and video of the Dogs playing around the vehicles at the sighting.
Wild Dog in the Manyeleti Nature Reserve
Wild Dog in the Manyeleti Nature Reserve
Wild Dog in the Manyeleti Nature Reserve
Wild Dog in the Manyeleti Nature Reserve
Playful Wild Dog pups in Manyeleti Nature Reserve
Playful Wild Dog pups in Manyeleti Nature Reserve
Playful Wild Dog pups in Manyeleti Nature Reserve
Playful Wild Dog pups in Manyeleti Nature Reserve
Playful Wild Dog pups in Manyeleti Nature Reserve
Playful Wild Dog pups in Manyeleti Nature Reserve
Wild Dog in the Manyeleti Nature Reserve
After a while we noticed two Cheetahs walking along the road in our direction, very aware of the Wild Dogs but apparently not fazed enough by them to immediately head for cover.
Two cheetahs walking along the road in the Manyeleti Nature Reserve
It didn’t take long for the Wild Dogs to also notice the Cheetahs though, and they immediately set off in their direction.
Wild Dogs running along the road in the Manyeleti Nature Reserve
Now this is the point where I can kick myself! I thought I was videoing the whole sequence, but in the excitement I never pressed the recording button… Next time I will do better, I promise… As the Wild Dogs trotted ever closer one of the Cheetahs broke cover and charged at them, seemingly thinking that offense is the best defense. The Cheetah was however immediately surrounded by the adult Wild Dogs, hit with its front paws on the ground, hissing and spitting, and then ran through a gap in the Dogs and up a dead tree, where we pick up the action with a photograph or two.
Cheetah after being chased up a tree by Wild Dogs in the Manyeleti Nature Reserve
Cheetah jumping out of the tree
With the Dogs satisfied that they’ve given the Cheetahs a run for their money and setting of on another hunt, we followed the now reunited Cheetahs for a while until they moved into dense cover where we lost sight of them. By then, the Wild Dogs had also ventured further into the bush and out of sight.
Cheetahs in the Manyeleti Nature Reserve
Cheetahs in the Manyeleti Nature Reserve
Cheetah in the Manyeleti Nature Reserve
African Wild Dogs can cover enormous distances, and we found the pack again that afternoon, this time on a drive from Buffelshoek Camp. In the heat of the afternoon they were a lot less energetic and more content lazing in the shade at the side of the road than hunting.
The Manyeleti Nature Reserve is renowned for its large prides of Lions and so we had high hopes for excellent sightings before we arrived. We didn’t have to wait long into our first afternoon drive from Ndzhaka Camp for our first encounter with the “Kings of Beasts” as we happened upon a large pride walking with determination through the veld while our guide tried to manoeuvre the vehicle into position for the best pictures.
Lioness in the Manyeleti Nature Reserve
Lion family in the Manyeleti Nature Reserve
A young male Lion in the Manyeleti Nature Reserve
A big male Lion in the Manyeleti Nature Reserve
Young lion in Manyeleti Nature Reserve
Young lion in Manyeleti Nature Reserve
A big male Lion in the Manyeleti Nature Reserve
A big male Lion in the Manyeleti Nature Reserve
A big male Lion in the Manyeleti Nature Reserve
A young male Lion in the Manyeleti Nature Reserve
As we drove out of Buffelshoek Camp our last morning at Manyeleti Nature Reserve dawned like a painting with a glorious orange sun backlighting large trees eerily peering through the mist that settled on the plains overnight.
Sunrise over Manyeleti
Years of visiting our wild places has given me a sixth sense that told me we won’t be waiting long for another audience with Manyeleti’s monarchy that morning, but our first sighting as we drove from camp was of two spotted hyenas lying lazily on the two-spoor track, as if just waiting for us to arrive.
Lazy Spotted Hyenas on the two-spoor track
Lazy young Spotted Hyena
And then, there they were! Two enormous Lionesses with their stomachs distended from a large meal enjoyed overnight. Eventually they got up and started moving in the direction of the nearby waterhole. We followed along for a few hundred metres, until they probably felt they needed another break and picked a termite mound as an elevated bed. One of the Queens flopped onto her side almost immediately, but the other was very interested in something happening between us and the camp, still visible in the distance.
Two very full Lionesses in the Manyeleti Nature Reserve
Two very full Lionesses in the Manyeleti Nature Reserve
Two very full Lionesses in the Manyeleti Nature Reserve
Two very full Lionesses in the Manyeleti Nature Reserve
The Queen is not impressed! A Lioness in the Manyeleti Nature Reserve
Two lionesses on the move in the Manyeleti
Two lionesses on the move in the Manyeleti
Two lionesses on the move in the Manyeleti
Two lionesses on the move in the Manyeleti
Two lionesses settling on a termite mound in the Manyeleti
Being an extreme fan of African Elephants, when I made my first visit to Manyeleti Nature Reserve I was wondering how many elephants we would see there. Thankfully I can now confirm that the reserve has a thriving population of the pachyderms and they were very much in evidence as we went driving around the reserve.
This was the biggest herd we saw during our stay in the Manyeleti. In elephant society the breeding herds usually consists only of adults females and their offspring, with adult males only visiting the herd when there’s a cow in oestrus present.
Elephant family
Elephant calf
Elephant cow
Elephant cow
Elephant mother and calf
Elephant family crossing the road, with the matriarch taking a prominent protective roll
This young bull we found a bit later at a dam was definitely interested in some or other smell exuded by another elephant or elephants, using his trunk to test both the air and urine spots left on the ground.
Young Elephant bull testing for smells with his trunk
Young Elephant bull testing for smells with his trunk
Young Elephant bull testing for smells with his trunk
Young Elephant bull testing for smells with his trunk
One of our final sightings as we drove towards the gate on our way back home was of a small group of bachelor Elephant bulls hanging around at – and in – the large dam in the centre of the reserve.
Elephant bull at a large dam in Manyeleti
Elephant bull at a large dam in Manyeleti
Elephant bulls playing in a large dam in Manyeleti
Today is World Rhino Day. The ongoing war against rhino poaching still features in the headlines all over the world and unfortunately it is seldom good news. As the numbers continue to dwindle sightings of these enigmatic creatures in our wild places are getting ever more scarce. That’s probably the reason why this wonderful encounter we had with a White Rhino bull in the Manyeleti Nature Reserve when we visited earlier in September is so precious and memorable.
DeWetsWild 