When staying at Thonga Beach Lodge guests have the option to do several on-site and off-site activities. Or, you can just sit on this deck and watch the Indian Ocean for hours on end…which is my default ‘activity’ of choice when on a beach holiday.
On the other hand, my wife is rather adventurous and has on our trips to this loge tried out a number of the ocean-based activities.
A sunrise is like an analogy for life. It rises, lights the sky and then wanes until it is finally extinguished at the end of the day. Each day it sets out to be the best that it can be and at the end of that day all is left behind to once again start afresh.
While sitting and watching another ocean sunset, we decided to try the Lake Sibaya sundown cruise.
This activity takes place just a short 15-minute drive from the lodge, and the trip through local villages was an eye-opener.
Not too far from the Lodge are a series of villages and the way of life here has not changed all that much from the rural nature of the area.
There are now schools and a clinic that the locals can utilize and hopefully, these will make a difference to the population in the future.
The house in the centre of this image belongs to the Induna(Chief) of this particular village.
Lake Sibaya is classified as an Important Bird Area by Birdlife SA. The site has a diverse avifauna, including locally rare species and range-restricted species. A total of 279 bird species have been recorded at Lake Sibaya, 62 of which are closely associated with the Lake through their breeding, feeding or roosting habits.
Aside from this one perched on the top of the rock and a couple of Cattle Egrets, our activity was a failure from a birding perspective. But the scenery, rainbow and sunset more than compensated.
Lake Sibaya is tucked against forested coastal dunes, parallel to iSimangaliso’s coastline. At an estimated 7 750ha, Lake Sibaya is the largest of its type and has been listed as a RAMSAR Wetland of International Importance. Marine canyons offshore of Lake Sibaya and the presence of relict estuarine fauna suggest that the Lake was previously connected to the sea by a large river. (Wikipedia)
Did you know? Although it might have been connected to the sea at some point in its history, currently no rivers flow in or out of Lake Sibaya.
It was grey and raining when we arrived at the lake and as a result, it was decided not to do a cruise, but to sit on the bank and see what evolved as far as wildlife and the landscape offered us.
Hence it was out with the drinks and snacks and we relaxed, waited and watched with eager anticipation.
Sibiya has 125 kilometres of untouched shoreline and a great diversity of fauna and flora, but we covered only a tiny portion of that.
A well-camouflaged relic of the dinosaur era. There are a plethora of crocodiles in the waters of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park.
Did you know… The fish in the lake are saltwater fish that have adapted to freshwater over a very long time. If you did not, you do now!
And if the crocs don’t get you then the hippo might.
Even though hippos are responsible for more deaths than all of the Big 5 combined, the locals still use the Lake as a resource.
“Sunset is still my favourite colour, and rainbow is second.” – Mattie Stepanek
The rainbow on the afternoon that we visited the Lake stayed for the longest time, helping to make our time on the banks of the Lake special.
For me, the rocks that dotted the shoreline of the Lake came to represent the faces of various animals.
Or it could just have been me wishing to see something that was not there.
Despite the ever-present threat of both hippos and crocs, the locals collect reeds from the shallows to use in building some of their traditional accommodations.
“Don’t seek to be happy; let everyone else chase after that rainbow. Seek to be kind, and you’ll find the rainbow follows you.” – Richelle E. Goodrich
Lake Sibaya, the largest freshwater lake in South Africa, has a surface area of 64 km² and an average depth of about 13m.
Are you aware that when lake Sibaya is full, it causes a freshwater spring on the beach?
Time to pack up the vehicle and head back to the Lodge and dinner.
Good night from the banks of Lake Sibaya.
All images are the copyright property of
and may not be used without permission.
