What an awesome week! “I can definitely recommend Kosi Bay!”
Kosi Bay and the hatchling turtles!
Posted by michellelutener
Well, what a fantastic weekend. Five of us hired a car and I drove us up North (300km) to Kosi Bay which is still part of the Isimangaliso Nature Reserve. It was a lovely drive and the beaches and lakes around Kosi Bay were beautiful! We went up there because it is the season to see the baby hatchling turtles making there first journey down thebeach to the big open ocean.
We were picked up from the town of Manguzi and driven by 4×4 to the accommodation we were staying at. You can only get to Koi Bay by 4×4 as it is basically all sand dunes. We were staying at a lodge which was basic and rustic. It was awesome. We were out in the bush in the middle of nowhere with an outside toilet and bathroom. It was wonderful and actually very comfortable:
After a spot of lunch we then went off road to the lake where we were played a bit f volleyball in the lake and then jumped on a boat for a drive around two of the lakes in the area which are connected by a channel. We saw several hippo and different birds and then had another swim. It was so picturesque and relaxing, especially with the beers supplied on the baot! That’s the life.
After the boat trip we headed to a beachfordinner. We watched the sun set whilst eating dinner and trying to avoid the crashing huge waves that were creeping up the beach. It was simply beautiful.
After dinner (and a few more beers…) we met up with our guide, Victor, who was going to take us for a walk along the beach to try and find the hatchling turtles. We headed of in the darkwith the beach only being lit by the moonlight. Victor had a torch and walked higher up the beach to look for the hatchlings. After about 45 mins walking he found the baby turtles that were out of their eggs and heading down the beach to the ocean. We sat and watched them for ages as about 30 baby turtles were walking straight down the beach one after another or in pairs or threes. Their little legs / fins (or whatever you want to call them) were struggling to walk through the sand, but they all somehow managed to and then just got swept away in the waves. It was amazing to watch. Just look how tiny they are!
We then headed back to the lodge and our chalets and the sky was so clear I decided to try and capture a star trail shot. I have been wanting to do this for ages but have never quite managed, so am realy pleased with this attempt!
The next morning we headed to the beach and I tried to swim in on the waves which were huge. It really was the perfect end to a wonderful weekend. I can definitely recommend Kosi Bay!By the way, here is one of my hippo shots from the other day that I promised I would add to this update.