Feb 13 2019
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Nile crocodiles? @ Sibaya – Sodwana Bay

By Sodwana Bay

iSimangaliso – home of the Nile crocodile This week, sixty yearling Nile crocodiles were released into the Nkazama Stream on the Eastern Shores section of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park World Heritage Site. These youngsters join the approximately 1000 adult crocodiles already living wild in the Park, predominantly in the Lake St Lucia estuarine system. The hatchlings, which measure about 30cm long and were born almost 12 months ago, are the offspring of crocodiles in captivity at the St Lucia Crocodile Education Centre. The Centre, managed by Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, was established in 1979 by the late Tony Pooley. Originally a research centre for the study of crocodiles, the centre has evolved into an educational and tourist facility as well contributing a huge amount of knowledge towards the conservation of these reptiles. Nile crocodiles (Crocodylus niloticus) are apex predators in the wetland – the largest freshwater predator in Africa – and while only a few will naturally survive to adulthood, iSimangaliso still boasts one of the most significant populations in Southern Africa. In a recent aerial count, the density of basking crocodiles in one section was recorded as the equivalent of 99 individuals per kilometre! Crocodiles are threatened by habitat removal, illegal killings, destruction of nesting sites and human disturbance, and although they are referred to as being of ‘least concern’ on the IUCN Red List, they are nonetheless listed as one of the country’s ‘Threatened or Protected Species’ (TOPS). According to Mpume Ngcobo, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife Conservation Manager at the St Lucia Crocodile Centre, “those of the released hatchlings that survive to adulthood could reach up to 5m in length, eventually weigh over 500kg and survive as long as 100 years.” Studies on crocodiles by former Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife ecologist Dr Xander Combrink revealed some interesting finds. Most surprising of all was the discovery that a tagged crocodile removed from the lower reaches of Lake St Lucia and released at the False Bay section, turned up back in his ‘home turf’ after many weeks of determined navigating. There is so much yet to be learned about these prehistoric creatures – further highlighting the importance of iSimangaliso’s conservation status and ongoing efforts. To learn more about these fascinating reptiles, book a visit to the St Lucia Crocodile Education Centre: +27 35 590 1386.

Feb 11 2019
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An Exotic find- Marbled Electric Ray @ Sodwana Bay

By Sodwana Bay

In this article I would like to tell you a little story about our favorite find from our last trip to Sodwana Bay January 2019. We are totally hooked on Snorkeling since we have discovered how fun snorkeling can be! Our most exotic find this time round was finding a very shy Marbled Electric Ray. Although what we have read up about them, they are extremely dangerous and give a whopper of a shock I don’t think they are very aggressive unless provoked. (Will research a little more about these animals later on in this article). So where did we find this shy creature? So we were swimming around in the shallow rock pools with a bunch of other people who were also snorkeling. We were mainly just chasing the normal common fish (will write about them in another article) when all of a sudden these two ladies called us over. At first we ignored them as we thought they were talking to each other, but when they called us the second time and gestured to us we went to investigated what they wanted to show us. When I saw the Sting ray it was swimming away to go hide in a nearby cave. So I called my fiancé over to dive deeper to try and catch this shy creature on our waterproof camera. He did! It was the coolest find we had made so far. Below is description of what it looks like and what exactly is a Marbled Electric Ray: ” What it looks like: The marbled electric ray (Torpedo marmorata) is a species of electric ray in the family Torpedinidae found in the coastal waters of the eastern Atlantic Ocean from the North Sea to South Africa. This benthic fish inhabits rocky reefs, seagrass beds, and sandy and muddy flats in shallow to moderately deep waters. It can survive in environments with very little dissolved oxygen, such as tidal pools. The marbled electric ray has a nearly circular pectoral fin disc and a muscular tail that bears two dorsal fins of nearly equal size and a large caudal fin. It can be identified by the long, finger-like projections on the rims of its spiracles, as well as by its dark brown mottled color pattern, though some individuals are plain-colored. Males and females typically reach 36–38 cm (14–15 in) and 55–61 cm (22–24 in) long respectively. Its Habitat: Widely distributed in the eastern Atlantic Ocean, the marbled electric ray is found from Scotland and the southern North Sea southward to the Cape of Good Hope, South Africa, including all around the Mediterranean Sea. It prefers temperatures cooler than 20 °C (68 °F). This species is typically found at depths of 10–30 m (33–98 ft) off Britain and Ireland, 20–100 m (66–328 ft) off Italy, and down to 200 m (660 ft) off Tunisia. It has been recorded from as deep as 370 m (1,210 ft). The marbled electric ray tends to be found deeper than the common torpedo (T. torpedo), which shares the southern portion of its range. Bottom-dwelling in nature, the marbled electric ray inhabits rocky reefs and seagrass beds, as well as nearby areas with sandy or muddy bottoms.[ During warm summer months, pregnant females are known to migrate into Arcachon Bay in northwestern France, where they are commonly found in very shallow, muddy pools near oyster beds.[ This species may conduct a northward migration in summer and autumn, into the waters of the British Isles.[ Its Food source: Small, benthic bony fishes constitute over 90% of the marbled electric ray’s diet by weight;[ these include gobies, hake, sea bass, mullets, jack mackerel, sea breams, goatfish, damselfish, wrasses, conger eels, and flatfish. Cephalopods such as European squid (Loligo vulgaris) and elegant cuttlefish (Sepia elegans) are a minor secondary food source. There is a single record of an individual that had swallowed a penaeid prawn, Penaeus kerathurus, and a study of captive rays found that they reject live Macropodiacrabs. Off southern France, by far the most important prey species is the leaping mullet (Liza saliens).[ Food items are swallowed whole; there is a record of a ray 41 cm (16 in) long that had consumed a three-bearded rockling (Gaidropsarus vulgaris) 34 cm (13 in) long. How does it defend it self? Because of its size and electrical defenses, the marbled electric ray does not often fall prey to other animals such as sharks. This species exhibits different defensive behaviors depending on whether a prospective predator grasps it by the disc or the tail. A ray touched on the disc will quickly turn toward the threat while producing electric shocks; this is followed by it fleeing in a straight line, after which it may re-bury itself. A ray touched on the tail will propel itself upward into a loop; if it has not escaped after the maneuver, the ray will curl into a ring with the belly facing outward, so as to present the area of its body with the highest electric field gradient (the underside of the electric organs) towards the threat; these behaviors are accompanied by short, strong electric shocks. The ray tends to produce more electric bursts when protecting its tail than when protecting its disc. Is it life threatening to humans? The shock delivered by the marbled electric ray can be painful but is seldom life-threatening, although there is a danger of a shocked diver becoming disoriented underwater. Its electrogenic properties have been known since classical antiquity, leading it and other electric fishes to be used in medicine. The ancient Greeks and Romans applied live rays to those afflicted with conditions such as chronic headaches and gout, and recommended that its meat be eaten by epileptics. That’s all for now guys be on the look out for our next article as we will be giving you more information about Sodwana Bay. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marbled_electric_ray “

Feb 08 2019
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Snowflake Moray Eel @ Sodwana Bay

By Sodwana Bay

We enjoyed it so much finding new creatures in our adventures around the rock pools @ Sodwana Bay, especially on the days when the tides were really low! We were privileged enough to catch a couple of different eels in the rock pools. What was fun and also a challenge was trying to capture any eel we possibly could find on camera. Not an easy job for a bunch of amateurs to do. But we still managed to get a few on camera. Please bare in mind I took a few guesses from Internet photos to match up the type of eels that we took photos of, thus to say they might not all be the same type of eels and also their information could be inaccurate to the specific eel to. Below are some images of our own and Images from the Internet with various information about them: Little information is given about the creature its self except that people like to keep these eels as saltwater aquarium pets. But here is a little Info on what they are: The snowflake moray (Echidna nebulosa) also known as the clouded moray among many various vernacular names, is a species of marine fish of the family Muraenidae.[ It is widespread throughout the Indo-Pacific area from the eastern coast of Africa throughout Micronesia including the Red Sea and Hawaii.[ The species is also found in the eastern Central Pacific from southern Baja California, Mexico, and from Costa Rica to northern Colombia.[ This species reaches a length of 100 centimetres (39 in) but its common size is 50 centimetres (20 in). It lives at depths of between 2 and 30 metres (7 and 100 ft). Well that’s all for now guys. Stay tuned for our next article. Source Description: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snowflake_moray Source Photo: https://www.bluezooaquatics.com

Nov 22 2018
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Greater St. Lucia Wetland Park @ Sibaya – Sodwana Bay

By Sodwana Bay

iSimangaliso Wetland Park (previously known as the Greater St. Lucia Wetland Park) is situated on the east coast of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, about 275 kilometers north of Durban. It is South Africa’s third-largest protected area, spanning 280 km of coastline, from the Mozambican border in the north to Mapelane south of the Lake St. Lucia estuary, and made up of around 3,280 km2 of natural ecosystems, managed by the iSimangaliso Authority. The park includes: Lake St. Lucia St. Lucia Game Reserve False Bay Park Kosi Bay Lake Etrza Nature Reserve Lake Sibhayi St. Lucia Marine Reserve St. Lucia Marine Sanctuary Sodwana Bay National Park Mapelane Nature Reserve Maputaland Marine Reserve Cape Vidal Ozabeni Mfabeni Tewate Wilderness Area Mkuze Game Reserve The park was previously known as the Greater St. Lucia Wetland Park, but was renamed effective 1 November 2007. The word isimangaliso means “a miracle” or “something wondrous” in Zulu. The name came as a result of Shaka’s subject having been sent to the land of the Tsonga. When he came back he described the beauty that he saw as a miracle. Source>>>

Nov 14 2018
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Scuba Diving – Scuba Diving – Scuba Diving @ Sodwana Bay

By Sodwana Bay

Scuba diving blog, Scuba diving information, Scuba diving sites, Scuba dive, Scuba diving, Night diving, SCUBA diving equipment, PADI , EFR, Apeks, Aqualung, Suunto, Beauchat, Mares, Oceanic, ScubaPro, Northern Diver, Scuba Diving Courses, Dive Equipment, Dive Equipment Servicing, Dive Trips, PADI Courses, Scuba Diving, Rebreather, Technical Diving, Scuba Diver Training, Scuba Diving Equipment Servicing, PADI Courses, Scuba Diving Air Fills, Scuba Diving Gear, scuba diving, Open water scuba diving, Padi, Scuba, Diving, Durham City, Air, PADI Courses, PADI Open Water Diver, PADI Rescue Diver, Advanced Open Water, Learn to scuba dive, Scuba Diving, PADI Courses, Open Water, Deep Diving, Advanced Diving, scuba diving, padi, essex, dive gear, diving courses, padi scuba diving course, learn to scuba dive, scuba diving club, equipment servicing, air and nitrox compressed air fills, Scuba Diving Courses, Cardiff, Swansea, South Wales, PADI Diving Courses, Learn to Dive, Diving Equipment, scuba, diving, cornwall, falmouth, boat charter, Scuba diving courses, Commercial diving courses, Dive shop, Accommodation, Boating courses, scuba courses , scuba diving, Dive Centre, Open water, Discover Scuba, Dive School, Drysuit repairs, Scuba Diving equipment, Regulator servicing, Scuba Diving shop, Scuba courses lancashire, Durham, Padi, Scuba, Diving, Learn, padi scuba diving, learn to scuba dive in essex, padi open water diver, padi dive courses, scuba diving instructors in essex, scuba, diving, t shirts, clothing, jewellery, Scuba Diving, PADI, Dive Centre, Scuba Diving Equipment, Diving Equipment, Scuba Equipment, Dive Gear, Scuba Gear

Nov 14 2018
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Scuba Diving @ Sodwana Bay

By Sodwana Bay

Scuba Diving Terms and Phrases: A Advanced Open Water: Follow up certification after Open-Water Diver; allows for deeper Air: A gas mixture containing 21percent oxygen, 78 percent nitrogen, and 1 percent other gasses (mainly argon); compressed air is held in a tank for scuba diving. Apnea: Breath-holding; apnea diving is a type of freediving, but in scuba diving you should never hold your breath. Ascent: Rising to the surface when diving; typically at the end of a dive. Ascent Rate: How quickly a diver returns to the surface. You should never ascend faster than your bubbles as a safety precaution. Scuba Diving Terms and Phrases: B Backroll: Entering the water from the side of the boat, back first. BC/BCD: Buoyancy Compensator. This is the harness divers wear that hold the air tank and connects to the regulator. Bends/Bent: The pain a diver feels when suffering from Decompression Sickness (DCS). See DCS definition below. The bends often occur from ascending too quickly. Boat Dive: Scuba diving that requires a boat ride to the dive site. Bootie: Scuba gear divers wear with open-heel fins. Booties can range from thin (1 mm or less) to thick (7 mm) neoprene and protect your feet from the cold as well as sharp rocks and other hazardous things you could step on when shore diving. Bottom Time: The length of your dive. Buddy: The person you dive with; this is the person you discuss a dive plan with and you are both responsible for keeping each other safe. Buoyancy: (Positive, Negative, Neutral) Buoyancy refers to your position in the water. Things that sink are negatively buoyant; things that float are positively buoyant; scuba divers should be neutrally buoyant (floating in the middle). Scuba Diving Terms and Phrases: C C-Card: Proof of scuba certification that you receive after completing your training course. This is necessary to go diving without an instructor for open water divers and is proof of any secondary/specialty scuba training and certifications you have. Call: To “call a dive” means that you are choosing or being told to end the dive and return to the surface. Cave: A hollow place in the ground, typically of natural formation. Cave Diving: Entering a water-filled cave system either on scuba or freediving. Cave diving can extend thousands of feet into a cave system for people who are properly trained. Cavern: A semi-enclosed area (often a rock formation) where you can still see the entrance and Certified Diver: Someone who has completed scuba diving lessons through a training organization and is able to dive without an instructor. Certification Agency: An organization like PADI, NAUI or SSI that trains people to scuba dive. There are over 100 agencies that do this, but not all certifications are valid worldwide. Check-Out Dive: These are the dives completed outside of a pool (can be in a lake, ocean, spring, quarry, etc.) to prove that you’ve mastered a set of scuba skills and are necessary to complete scuba certification. Confined Water Dive: Dives conducted in a pool or other shallow, current-free underwater environment so that students can master training and skills in a safe, controlled environment before completing open-water check-out dives. Scuba Diving Terms and Phrases: D DAN: Divers Alert Network DCS/Decompression Sickness: When bubbles of gas (often nitrogen) get trapped inside of the body. There are varying levels of severity, and can be caused by swimming to the surface too quickly. Depth Gauge: A piece of scuba equipment that monitors how deep you are during your dive. Most dive computers serve as a replacement for depth gauges. Dedicated Dive Resort: Accommodations that focus on scuba diving experiences. They often have a dive shop onsite, and include diving in the booking fees. Dive Computer: A piece of scuba gear that monitors depth, bottom time and a ton of other information about each dive you complete. All dive computers are different, but they are an alternative to planning dives with dive tables. Dive Instructor: This person has gone through many trainings and certifications (open-water, advanced-open water, rescue diver, divemaster and more) so that they can teach others how to scuba dive. Dive Light: A flashlight designed for use underwater. Dive Operator: A store, boat or lcoation that will take you to go diving and often can certify you as well. Dive Table: Tool that helps determine how long you can safely stay underwater at different depths. Developed by the military to keep divers safe from decompression sickness Divemaster: A professional-level scuba diver who has logged at least 60 dives and who is trained to assist instructors on dive boats and during certification courses. DPV: Diver Propulsion Vehicle. A handheld and operated scooter or motor device that allows divers to move faster underwater. Drift Dive: Diving in a current, often from a boat. Once the dive is complete, the boat picks you up at the surface. Dry Bag: A bag to keep any items dry that aren’t waterproof. Drysuit: A type of exposure suit that keeps you dry while diving; used in cold-water dive conditions. Scuba Diving Terms and Phrases: E EAN: Enriched Air Nitrox. This is a form of mixed-gas scuba diving. Entry: Getting into the water either from shore, boat, etc. Equalize/Equalization: Putting air into an open area to compensate for the change in pressure. (Most commonly ear equalization for scuba divers.) Exposure Suit: A garment worn to keep divers warm and help protect them from cuts, scrapes and other elements. Scuba Diving Terms and Phrases: F Fins: The scuba gear that you wear on your feet to help you swim faster/with less effort. First Stage: Part of a scuba regulator; this attaches to the air tank. Freediving: Diving deep or staying underwater for extended periods of time without an air tank. Frog Kick: A technique for kicking your fins underwater. The bottoms of your feet move at each other like you’re sitting Indian style to propel you forward. This is a helpful technique to avoid kicking up sand. FSW: Feet of Sea Water Full-Foot Fin: A fin that covers your entire foot and most often doesn’t require you to wear a bootie. Scuba Diving Terms and Phrases: G, H, I, J, K, L Giant Stride: A method of getting in the water where you take a large step off…