Tag Archives: Mission Rocks

Summertide Diary: Rock Pool Wonderland

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For landlubbers like us gawking with open mouths at the colourful life in a rock pool at the sea shore is one of the highlights of a beach holiday. Many of the life forms are so unique and different from what we’re used to as to seem utterly alien. We were fortunate in that, during our time in the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, we had a chance to visit Mission Rocks at low tide in the cool of the afternoon, allowing us to clamber over the rocks from one pool to the next to our heart’s content.

Mission Rocks
Mission Rocks
Mission Rocks
Mission Rocks
Rock pools at Mission Rocks
Mission Rocks
Heart-shaped rock pool at Mission Rocks
Little fish in a rock pool at Mission Rocks
Crab moving between rock pools at Mission Rocks
Little fish in a rock pool at Mission Rocks
Little fish in a rock pool at Mission Rocks
Little fish in a rock pool at Mission Rocks
Little fish in a rock pool at Mission Rocks
Barred Flagtail in a rock pool at Mission Rocks
Little fish in a rock pool at Mission Rocks
Crab next to a rock pool at Mission Rocks
Crab at Mission Rocks
Little fish in a rock pool at Mission Rocks
Little fish in a rock pool at Mission Rocks
Little fish in a rock pool at Mission Rocks
Natal Rock Crab at Mission Rocks
Hermit Crab at Mission Rocks
Crab and little fish in a rock pool at Mission Rocks
Crabs and little fish in a rock pool at Mission Rocks
Crabs on the rocks at Mission Rocks
Crab in a pool at Mission Rocks
Barred Flagtail in a rock pool at Mission Rocks
Little fish in a rock pool at Mission Rocks
Little Butterflyfish in a rock pool at Mission Rocks
Little fish in a rock pool at Mission Rocks
Little fish in a rock pool at Mission Rocks
Little fish in a rock pool at Mission Rocks
Natal Rock Crab at Mission Rocks
Crab in a rock pool at Mission Rocks
Little fish in a rock pool at Mission Rocks
Little fish in a rock pool at Mission Rocks
Little fish in a rock pool at Mission Rocks
Crab on its way to a rock pool at Mission Rocks
Little fish in a rock pool at Mission Rocks

 

Summertide Diary: Exploring iSimangaliso (part five)

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21 January 2021

After a night of heavy rainfall our first encounter of the morning was with an amphibian, probably no surprize there. It was however the first time we saw the tiny Bush Squeaker frog – this one, no bigger than a thumbnail, was sitting next to our vehicle as we wanted to climb aboard for our morning excursion.

Bush Squeaker

Everything was crisp and clean along the Grassland Loop after the rainstorm the previous night.

African Pygmy Kingfisher
Sunrise over Lake Bhangazi and the forested dunes of Cape Vidal
Cuckoo Hawk
Immature Burchell’s Coucal
Red-breasted Swallows

Climbing to the top of the Kwasheleni Tower and taking in the beautiful views in the morning light with the smell of a wet forest all around was magical.

Kwasheleni Tower
Steps leading up to the Kwasheleni Tower
Thorny Bone-apple fruit
Indian Ocean from Kwasheleni Tower
View towards the north-west from Kwasheleni Tower
View southwards from Kwasheleni Tower
View to the south-west from Kwasheleni Tower, with Lake St. Lucia in the background

There was lots to see along the remainder of the road back to camp

Distant view of a Crowned Eagle in the forest
Buffalo close-up
Brown-hooded Kingfisher
Bell’s Hinged Tortoise
Crested Guineafowl leaving home for work (photo by Joubert)
Samango Monkey
Black-bellied Starling

With low tide arriving around 15:00 this afternoon we used the opportunity to go down to Mission Rocks and explore the wonders of the rocky shoreline there. This gallery is just a little teaser of what we have in store for you tomorrow.

Wild Date Palm
Mission Rocks
Interesting plantlife above the high water mark at Mission Rocks
Little fish in a rock pool at Mission Rocks
Natal Rock Crab at Mission Rocks
Interesting plantlife above the high water mark at Mission Rocks
Little fish in a rock pool at Mission Rocks
Heart-shaped rock pool at Mission Rocks
Mission Rocks
Barred Flagtail in a rock pool at Mission Rocks

After a wonderful time around the rock pools at Mission Rocks the road back to Cape Vidal was buzzing with lots to see.

Cute little Vervet Monkeys – just look at that smile!
Flat-crown Tree
Scenery along the Vlei Loop on the Eastern Shores of Lake St. Lucia
Black-bellied Starling at its nest
Black-bellied Starling at its nest
Kudu bull close-up
Kudu bull

 

Map of the eastern shores section of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park (from https://isimangaliso.com/)

Summertide Diary: Exploring iSimangaliso (part one)

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17 January 2021

It’s a cloudy start to the day at Cape Vidal and the route for our morning drive takes us along the Grassland Loop and then to the viewpoint at Catalina Bay on the shores of Lake St. Lucia. Recent rains have swelled the lake to proportions I don’t think we’ve seen on any of our numerous previous visits to the area.

Little Bee-eater
Youngish Waterbuck bull
Cheeky Kudu calf
Catalina Bay, Lake St. Lucia
Adult Antlion

We’re slowly making our way to the picnic site at Mission Rocks for breakfast.

Waterbuck with oddly shaped horns
Fan-tailed Widowbird
Dominant male Vervet Monkey

On arrival at Mission Rocks we delay our breakfast of coffee-and-rusks just a little to first walk down to the rocky beach and look out over the ocean. But its windy and drizzly so we don’t stay at the seaside too long before going to hide in the forest, where the picnic tables are also frequented by some colourful birds with the same aching for something to eat that we had.

Spotted Hyena track at Mission Rocks
Mission Rocks
Common Whimbrel
Large crab of unknown species at Mission Rocks
Natal Rock Crab
Natal Rock Crab
Red-capped Robin Chat
African Pygmy Kingfisher

Driving further south the sun finally puts in appearance and the bush becomes alive as birds and animals come out of hiding.

Barn Swallows
Rattling Cisticola
Warthog
Vervet Monkey
Blue-cheeked Bee-eater

We turn for camp at Amazibu Pan, where the hippos are kept from their sleep by a raucous assortment of birdlife.

Fan-tailed Widowbird
Spur-winged Goose (photo by Joubert)
Spur-winged Goose
White-faced Whistling Duck
Hippos lazing at Amazibu Pan

Heading back to Cape Vidal there’s three short loop roads that offer an alternative to the busier tarred main road, and each of them offers a glimpse into a different ecosystem. The first of these is the Vlei Loop that passes several open pans where animals congregate to drink.

Dung Beetle with his bounty
Herd of buffaloes
Steppe Buzzard
Water Thick-knee (photo by Joubert)

The Forest Loop passes the kuMfazana Hide, where we discover a butterfly paradise – more about that tomorrow!

Eastern Coastal Skink
Novice butterfly
Common Tigertail dragonfly
Unidentified moth species

A turnoff from the Dune Loop leads to the Kwasheleni Tower – a new facility opened after our previous visit to iSimangaliso that we were very curious to see – but a sour old buffalo bull tried his best to keep us from reaching it.

Wild Date Palms
Water Monitor lizard
Buffalo road block
Buffalo road block

Our patience paid off when the buffalo eventually relented and we could reach the viewing tower without further hindrance (unless you see the climbing up the dune and then the tower as an obstacle). The views afforded over Lake St. Lucia and the iSimangaliso Wetland Park from up the top of the tower was amazing.

Kwasheleni Tower
Kwasheleni Tower
Kwasheleni Tower and view
The view southwards from the Kwasheleni Tower

Arriving back at Cape Vidal around the same time the clouds did, we nevertheless didn’t want to pass on the opportunity to explore the rock pools at low tide.

Cape Vidal beach
Cape Vidal beach
Rock pools at Cape Vidal
Rock pools at Cape Vidal
Rock pools at Cape Vidal
Intertidal rock pools at Cape Vidal
Little fish in an intertidal rock pool at Cape Vidal

Having lunch on the deck of our log cabin we were visited by a variety of the local wildlife.

Greying old bushbuck ewe
Black-bellied Starling
African Monarch

We didn’t take a very long afternoon drive, just a two-hour excursion along the Grassland and Dune Loops and back to camp.

Shy European Honey Buzzard
European Roller
Warthog
Two of the “Big Five” in the same frame
Brown Snake Eagle (photo by Joubert)
Fan-tailed Widowbird
African Pygmy Kingfisher
Wasp of the genus Stizus

 

Map of the eastern shores section of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park (from https://isimangaliso.com/)

 

iSimangaliso’s Eastern Shores – A Photographic Journey (Part 4)

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Time to wrap up the photographic trip report of our recent visit to the Eastern Shores of Lakes St. Lucia, with a gallery of some of the larger animals we encountered on land and sea in the place of miracles and wonders – the iSimangaliso Wetland Park.

Baboon
Banded Mongoose
Blue Wildebeest
Blue Wildebeest
Buffalo
What a buffalo looks like just before he charges!
Buffalo
Buffalo
Bushbuck
Bushbuck
Bushbuck
Bushbuck
Bushbuck
Crocodile
Elephant
Elephant
Hippopotamus
Hippopotamus
Hippopotamus
Hippopotamus
Humpback Whale
Humpback Whale
Impala
Kudu
Kudu
Kudu
Kudu
Plains Zebra
Plains Zebra
Red Duiker
Red Duiker
Red Duiker
Red Bush Squirrel
Reedbuck
Reedbuck
Reedbuck
Samango Monkey
Samango Monkey
Spotted Hyena
Vervet Monkey
Warthog
Waterbuck
Waterbuck
Waterbuck

Follow the links for more of our posts about St. Lucia town, Cape Vidal and Mission Rocks.

 

iSimangaliso’s Eastern Shores – A Photographic Journey (Part 3)

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On the Eastern Shores of Lake St. Lucia, the amazing diversity of life forms comes in all sizes. The star of this collection of photos showcasing some of the smaller creatures that crossed our path on our recent visit must be the tiny frog that somehow got into my mug while we were enjoying coffee and rusks one morning at Mziki viewpoint near Mission Rocks. Exactly when it got into my coffee is unclear – I had put my mug down a few times to take pictures – and I have no idea how much of my coffee I had shared with the little guy. Joubert only noticed it sitting in the cup when I took my last swig as we started packing up to leave. Lucky for it, I drink a lot of milk in my coffee so it wouldn’t have been scalded.

Dancing Acraea
This juvenile Painted Reed Frog climbed into my coffee cup at Mziki viewpoint one morning – at which stage during the drinking process I don’t know…
Common Dotted Border
Natal Rock Crab in a tidal pool at Mission Rocks
Crab in a tidal pool at Mission Rocks
Dusky Acraea
Giant Legless Skink
Praying Mantis at Catalina Bay
Baby Common Tropical House Gecko
Common Tropical House Gecko
Large Rain Spider on a dustbin at Mission Rocks
Eastern Coastal Skink
Hermit Crab – iSimangaliso Wetland Park

Follow the links for more of our posts about St. Lucia town, Cape Vidal and Mission Rocks.

iSimangaliso’s Eastern Shores – A Photographic Journey (Part 2)

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The iSimangaliso Wetland Park is a bird-watcher’s paradise – 526 bird species have been recorded within its borders!

During the few days we recently spent on the Eastern Shores of Lake St. Lucia, we managed to tick 109 kinds of birds, and had we been better at identifying the “Little Brown Jobs” our list would undoubtedly have been quite a bit longer still.

This incredible diversity is surely due to the Park’s rich variety of habitats, and our “success” in connecting with so many kinds of birds can only be ascribed to the terrific collection of roads, hides, picnic sites and other localities so easily accessible to visitors.

We hope you enjoy this sample of iSimangaliso’s birdlife!

African Dusky Flycatcher
African Harrier Hawk
African Olive Pigeon
African Oystercatcher
African Stonechat
Baillon’s Crake
Bearded Scrub Robin
Black Saw-wing
Brown Snake Eagle
Brown-hooded Kingfisher
Burchell’s Coucal
Cape White-eye
Caspian Tern
Collared Sunbird (female)
Crested Guineafowl – iSimangaliso Wetland Park
Crowned Hornbill
Dark-backed Weaver
Dark-capped Bulbul
Denham’s Bustard
Fiery-necked Nightjar
Fiscal Flycatcher
Grey Waxbill
Grey-headed Gull
Southern Grey-headed Sparrow
Hadeda
Kurrichane Thrush
Neddicky
Olive Sunbird
African Paradise Flycatcher (female)
Pink-backed Pelican
Pink-backed Pelicans – iSimangaliso Wetland Park
Rattling Cisticola
Red-billed Teals
Red-capped Robin-Chat
Red-eyed Dove
Black-winged Lapwing
Southern Black Flycatcher
Southern Masked Weaver
Tawny-flanked Prinia
White-eared Barbets – iSimangaliso Wetland Park
White-faced Whistling Duck
White-fronted Plover
White-winged Widowbird
Woolly-necked Stork
Yellow Weaver
Yellow-billed Egrets
Yellow-breasted Apalis
Yellow-fronted Canary
Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird
Yellow-throated Longclaw

Follow the links for more of our posts about St. Lucia town, Cape Vidal and Mission Rocks.

iSimangaliso’s Eastern Shores – A Photographic Journey (Part 1)

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We’re fresh back from a terrific holiday in two very special wild places in northern Kwazulu-Natal. Our first destination was the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, and specifically the Eastern Shores of Lake St. Lucia, where we spent one night at Manzini Chalets in the holiday town of St. Lucia, and four nights in a log cabin at Cape Vidal.

Manzini Chalets #9, St. Lucia Town, July 2017
Cape Vidal Chalet 9, iSimangaliso Wetland Park, July 2017

I can’t think of a better way to start off the report back on our trip than with a few landscape photos that illustrates why iSimangaliso is a land of “miracles and wonders”, and one of our favourite destinations!

Where Lake St. Lucia meets the Indian Ocean
The beach at Cape Vidal
The beach at Cape Vidal
The beach at Cape Vidal
The beach at Cape Vidal
Sunrise over the Eastern Shores
Sunrise over the Eastern Shores
Sunrise over the Eastern Shores
Sunrise over the Eastern Shores
Mziki viewsite
Catalina Bay
Sunset over Catalina Bay
The Red Dunes at eSibomvini
Lake Bhangazi
Lake Bhangazi
Mission Rocks – iSimangaliso Wetland Park
Mission Rocks – iSimangaliso Wetland Park
Mission Rocks – iSimangaliso Wetland Park
Mission Rocks – iSimangaliso Wetland Park
Mission Rocks – iSimangaliso Wetland Park
Mission Rocks – iSimangaliso Wetland Park
Mission Rocks – iSimangaliso Wetland Park
Mission Rocks – iSimangaliso Wetland Park
Mission Rocks – iSimangaliso Wetland Park
Mission Rocks – iSimangaliso Wetland Park

Follow the links for more of our posts about St. Lucia town, Cape Vidal and Mission Rocks.

The rugged beauty of Mission Rocks

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Today a very popular picnic and fishing spot north of St. Lucia Town in the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, Mission Rocks is named for a Catholic mission station established in the area in 1888. The path leading from the parking area to the beach opens onto a scene of rugged, rocky beauty, revealing rock pools teeming with life at low tide and impressing with the thundering of crashing waves at high tide. There’s a sandy, open beach 500m northwards of the rocks, with a sea-cave where thousands of bats roost.

Mission Rocks
Mission Rocks
Mission Rocks picnic spot
Mission Rocks
de Wet family shadows at Mission Rocks
Mission Rocks
Mission Rocks
Mission Rocks
Mission Rocks
Keep an eye open for the vervet monkeys while having a picnic at Mission Rocks
Natal Rock Crab at Mission Rocks
Mission Rocks
Fiscal flycatcher

On the way to Mission Rocks, the uMziki viewpoints and picnic site, set right in the coastal forest, is a worthwhile stop. From atop the dune there’s views over Lake Saint Lucia to the west and the Indian Ocean to the east, and down below in the forested picnic site there’s an astounding variety of birds that would normally be very shy but here seems quite habituated to having humans around. There’s also usually a couple of red duiker to be seen.

uMziki viewpoint over Lake Saint Lucia
uMziki viewpoint over Indian Ocean
uMziki viewpoint
Golden-tailed woodpecker
White-eared barbet
Livingstone’s turaco
Red-capped robin-chat
Red duiker
Red duiker