yellowwoodforestsare protected to the
mostnorth-easterlyand, at 10 700km²,the
biggest iSimangaliso,whereintricate
ecosystemsproviderefugeto coelacanths,
and CriticallyEndangeredturtlesamongother
marinespecies.This expandedMPAis also
the first and only UNESCOMarineProtected
AreaWorldHeritageSite in SouthAfricaand
happensto be in my backyard.So I headup
thereto explorewith my friend,iSimangaliso/s
medialiaisonofficer,DebbieCooper.
Witha coastlinestretchingsome
220 kilometresfromKosiBay in the northto
a pointroughlyin line with the CapeSt Lucia
Lighthouse20 kilometressouthof Maphelane,
iSimangaliso/sexpandedMPAwouldtakemonths,evenyears,to fullyexplore.We have
only a few daysso we decideto focuson
SodwanaBay. If anywhereis a gatewayfor
visitorsto immersethemselvesin the MPA,it/s
that sectionof the iSimangalisoWetlandPark.
But first we hop on a sunsetcruiseon the
St LuciaEstuarythat, whenthe mouthreopens
one day, will resumean ancientsymbiotic
relationshipwith the ocean.Earlythe next
morning,we take in a show-stoppingsunrise
on St Lucia/sIngweBeachwhichis within
a controlledzoneof the MPA7 it/s an area
where,interalia, limitedfishingis permitted.
Othertypesof zones(Restrictedand
Wilderness)rule out fishingaltogether.
;MPAscan be zonedto accommodate
differentformsof humanuse,<says Bruce.
;Thestrictesttype of zonationis generally
a no-takezonewhereno consumptiveuse of
marineresourcesis permitted.Importantly,
fewerthan ten per cent of MPAsgloballyare
zonedfor no-take.<
Nextstop is MissionRockswherethe low
tide has exposedthe intertidalzonethat/s
so vulnerableto illegalpillaging,and then
Sodwana,wherewe haveour conversation
with PeterJacobsaboutpreparingyoungsters
to take part in the ocean-tourismsector.At the
time,Peterhad plansfor one schoolleaverto
entera divinginternship.This highlightssome
of the benefitsof MPAslike job securityand
education.
Our discussionmovesto turtles,which
nowadaysare synonymouswith the region,
especiallyin summerwhenleatherbacksand
loggerheadscomeashoreto nest,and when,
about60 dayslater,the hatchlingsmakea dash
for the sea.ABOVE: Dr Bruce Mann, senior scientist at the Oceanographic
Research Institute with a white-barred rubberlip. RIGHT: Rock pools
at Kosi Mouth, the most northerly end of the iSimangaliso MPA.
ABOVE: Dive boats on their way to the biodiverse richness of Sodwana’s famously pristine reefs.
BELOW: Looking south from Kosi Bay along the coastline of iSimangaliso MPA.
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