St Lucia: Hippos, Crocs, Birds, Etc.??

From The Australian newspaper last month, they have this headline: "St Lucia Estuary hippos and crocodiles: creatures of the big lagoon" with these highlights about: "Africa’s largest coastal lagoon and the jewel of the World Heritage-listed iSimangaliso Wetland Park, being home to about 800 hippos and 1200 Nile crocodiles."

Our guide explained how these hippo's are know as "the Townies” as they tend to go "ambling through St Lucia’s streets after dark." St. Lucia is "wedged between estuary and ocean, has 1100 residents". The people and hippo's have learned to get along, but there are road signs to warn driver to watch for hippos on the roads at night. This story also notes the severe drought that has affected the wetlands over the past few years. These conditions have dried up water sources leading into the estuary and caused the shrinking of the animal populations.

This story brought back nice memories from our visit to St. Lucia, seeing the hippo's, exploring nearby areas, including our being a guest at the Zulu grade school, etc. Below are a few of my pictures from this great hippo, etc., wildlife area.

Have others been here and had experiences, visuals, etc., to share? Join in!! Love to hear from others with their adventures here.

Full story at:

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/life/travel/st-lucia-estuary-hippos-and-crocodiles-creatures-of-the-big-lagoon/news-story/34f1edcb77d25f8ecfdc783657c6b828

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

AFRICA?!!?: Lots of interesting and dramatic pictures can be seen from my latest live/blog at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2310337

Now at 22,714 views for this reporting and visual sharing that includes Cape Town, all along the South Africa coast, Mozambique, Victoria Falls/Zambia and Botswana's famed Okavango Delta area.

Here are two pictures from the iSimangaliso Wetland Park near Richards Bay at the end of our two-day, overnight adventure in the Hluhluwe–iMfolozi Game Reserve. That park is the oldest proclaimed nature reserve in Africa. St. Lucia included the large hippo’s, plus a large bird getting ready to swallow a fish, after it flipped the catch to go down head-first and make it safe for consuming it whole in this manner.:

From Mission Bay near St. Lucia, here are more examples of the birds, wildlife, hippos, "crocs", etc., during our two-hour cruise on a small boat in this waterway as the sun was getting ready to set. This late afternoon sun was perfect for a great, up-close picture of this one hippo. Like?:

And then as the sun was setting, here is the view from a our boat of this late afternoon Africa drama. As we sailed back, a large male hippo was following along with our boat as we were heading back to the dock. These hippo’s can move fairly fast!!:

Terry...did you find this tour worthwhile and not greatly outdone by your trip,to Botswana Okavango? As we are almost following in your footsteps in a few months, I am wondering if St Lucia will still be exciting with that combination. Thanks, Maria

Terry...did you find this tour worthwhile and not greatly outdone by your trip,to Botswana Okavango? As we are almost following in your footsteps in a few months, I am wondering if St Lucia will still be exciting with that combination. Thanks, Maria

Appreciate, Maria, this good question. YES!! Very much enjoyed this visit to St. Lucia. Botswana was super wonderful, but the earlier stops during our three days of "safaris" in South Africa worked super well, too! Why? At each different location, we learned a nice depth of knowledge about certain animals, their habits, history, etc. At St. Lucia, we were able to really focus and learn so much on the hippos. Yes, we saw hippos in Botswana, but it was not as "up close and personal" for learning there on the hippos compared to what we gained at St. Lucia. Also in St. Lucia, it was late in the afternoon and that sunset timing really helped in getting more dramatic visuals.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Enjoyed a 14-day, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure, getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for more info and many pictures of these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 160,553 views for this posting.

Well, ok then! Your photos of the hippos particularly are stunning, so with this further comment, I'm now sold on St Lucia too!

Thanks for the heads-up, Terry. :)

We're taking a road-trip around S.A in January, including Swaziland & Rourke's Drift.

Looks like a little diversion is called-for. ;)

JB :)

Well, ok then! Your photos of the hippos particularly are stunning, so with this further comment, I'm now sold on St Lucia too!

John Bull: Thanks for the heads-up' date=' Terry. We're taking a road-trip around S.A in January, including Swaziland & Rourke's Drift. [b']Looks like a little diversion is called-for. [/b] JB

Appreciate these two great follow-ups, especially from the super experienced CC Board pro, JB, from the UK. Lots to see and enjoy in South Africa, but St. Lucia and area are worth considering as an option if things can work out.

Below are a few more visual samples, some of which had not been posted previously. Hope this helps build the excitement for visiting South Africa.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Did a June 7-19, 2011, cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Dozens of nice visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc. We are now at 218,878 views for this live/blog re-cap, including much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

Here are some added visuals from visiting in and around St. Lucia. Lots of birds here as shown below, plus you can see that large bird having the fish turned around to be swallowing it whole, head first. The coastal view is of the Indian Ocean!! There are more hippo pictures, including one following along side of our boat as the sun is setting. Love the cute little ears on the hippos!!:

I did a similar excursion in Ethiopia. Was traveling through the country with a friend, we pulled into the dusty non-descript town of Arba Minch and checked into the only decent hotel in town, and "decent" is a stretch. Off to the bar, we order two beers and the guy hands us two warm beers, and these aren't cellar temperature they're hot beers! He informs us the little beer chiller fridg is broken, we spot a chest freezer next to it and ask him to put the beers in the freezer for about 20 minutes. While we're waiting for the beer to chill we ask about things to do in area, he tells us to go to the "crocodile market". Now this isn't a market like you'd think, its a place on Chamo Lake that borders the Nechisar National Park where they collect in large numbers on the lake shore, and there's also lots of hippos to see. Gives us directions to find the guy in town with a boat.

Next morning we set off to find the guy with the boat, he drives us to the little marina and we get into this 20ft aluminum boat and off we go. Get to the area where the famed "crocodile market" is, 20ft Nile crocs by the hundreds, some sunning themselves on the beach and some in the water, and there's hippos. Marveling at these creatures close up one hippo gets a little frisky and creates waves that starts tossing the boat violently side to side....at this point I become keenly aware of the potential danger. If we capsize and get tossed into this lake we're croc food. We ask the boat driver to back off a bit, up so close isn't so important, stayed a bit then we head back. On the way back, I asked if that has ever happened and he says yes, sometimes by accident and sometimes a hippo can get aggressive. Although not something that happens frequently, its rare.

Love our travels through Africa, have had some memorable trips. Haven't been to Botswana yet but that's on the list, also Mozambique and Malawi. Have also been in parts of West Africa and North Africa.

I did a similar excursion in Ethiopia. Was traveling through the country with a friend, we pulled into the dusty non-descript town of Arba Minch and checked into the only decent hotel in town, and "decent" is a stretch. Off to the bar, we order two beers and the guy hands us two warm beers, and these aren't cellar temperature they're hot beers! He informs us the little beer chiller fridg is broken, we spot a chest freezer next to it and ask him to put the beers in the freezer for about 20 minutes. While we're waiting for the beer to chill we ask about things to do in area, he tells us to go to the "crocodile market". Now this isn't a market like you'd think, its a place on Chamo Lake that borders the Nechisar National Park where they collect in large numbers on the lake shore, and there's also lots of hippos to see. Gives us directions to find the guy in town with a boat. Next morning we set off to find the guy with the boat, he drives us to the little marina and we get into this 20ft aluminum boat and off we go. Get to the area where the famed "crocodile market" is, 20ft Nile crocs by the hundreds, some sunning themselves on the beach and some in the water, and there's hippos. Marveling at these creatures close up one hippo gets a little frisky and creates waves that starts tossing the boat violently side to side....at this point I become keenly aware of the potential danger. If we capsize and get tossed into this lake we're croc food. We ask the boat driver to back off a bit, up so close isn't so important, stayed a bit then we head back. On the way back, I asked if that has ever happened and he says yes, sometimes by accident and sometimes a hippo can get aggressive. Although not something that happens frequently, its rare. Love our travels through Africa, have had some memorable trips. Haven't been to Botswana yet but that's on the list, also Mozambique and Malawi. Have also been in parts of West Africa and North Africa.

Appreciate this great Africa sharing from our "neighbor" in Virginia. Getting ready to depart to Charlottesville, Va., to visit our grandsons and family for the Thanksgiving holiday. What part of Virginia are you located? Just saw a great show on the National Geographic channel about South Africa and its eastern region that we had visited. Super camera work that was so close and "personal". Helped to bring back nice memories from our visiting there earlier this year.

Yes, Botswana is wonderful. Hope you and others can make it there.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

From our Jan. 25-Feb. 20, 2015, Amazon River-Caribbean combo sailing over 26 days that started in Barbados, here is the link below to that live/blog. Lots of great visuals from this amazing Brazil river and these various Caribbean Islands (Dutch ABC's, St. Barts, Dominica, Grenada, etc.) that we experienced. Check it out at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2157696

Now at 45,662 views for these postings.

Used to go St Lucia to work,its also a excellent boat fishing spot.

Another nice reserve to vist is the Mukuze,its a little futher up the coast.That part off Kwa Zulu is fantastic

:):):)

Thanks for the heads-up, Terry. :)

 

We're taking a road-trip around S.A in January, including Swaziland & Rourke's Drift.

Looks like a little diversion is called-for. ;)

 

JB :)

Look at the Ghost Mountain Inn its near Mkuze,if your going from Rorkes drift its not to much of a diversion,you can go into Swaziland via Northern Kwa Zulu,spent 3 years commuting from Durban to Swaziland :):)

Appreciate these above nice follow-up. YES, love these parts of Africa so much. But, been to other fun places. Below is a connection for the live/blog from our March experiences in doing this fun Panama Canal "adventure". This includes our first stops in Colombia, Central America and Mexico, plus added time in the great San Francisco. Very special and interesting in seeing the Panama Canal and learning about its creation/construction.

Getting ready in six days to be departing for Lisbon and our first visit to Portugal. Then, we will be seeing NW Spain, Bordeaux and Brittany also for the first times in these charming regions. Will do a live/blog for these "adventures". Join in and feel free to ask any questions as we sail. It will be on the Silversea Cruise Critic board.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Panama Canal? Just completed Feb. 28-Mar. 15, 2017, Fort Lauderdale to San Francisco adventure through the Panama Canal with our first stops in Colombia, Central America and Mexico, plus added time in the great Golden Gate City. Lots of fun pictures!! Those pictures start on the second page, post #26. See more at:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2465580