Kosi Bay Nature Reserve

Description

The Kosi Bay Nature Reserve is an 80km² reserve that forms part of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park and surrounds the Kosi lake system in northern KwaZulu-Natal. With plenty of estuarine lakes and white sandy beaches, it is a tropical paradise and ideal for recreational activities like diving, snorkelling, canoeing, boat trips, and fishing.

The park’s 4 lakes, tidal mouth, and mangrove swamp attract a variety of salt and fresh water fish, which makes angling very popular. The coastal forest on the edge of the lake is home to bushbuck, duiker, and monkeys, while the waters are home to hippo and crocodile.

The Raffia and Wild Date palm forests are filled with over 250 species of birds, such as the rare Fish Eagle and Palm Nut Vulture. In the summer months between November and January, turtles come ashore at night to lay their eggs on the sandy beaches in the reserve. Turtle tours are offered where visitors can watch them laying their eggs. Humpback whales can be spotted off the coast.