Kosi Bay in the St. Lucia Wetlands

Traditional Old Fishing Nets still be used today in the lakes of Kosi Bay

The name Kosi Bay is actually quite misleading as there isn’t a ‘bay’ here. Kosi Bay, KwaZulu-Natal, is made up from an intricate system of rivers, lakes, an estuary and mouth, running parallel to the beach. The entire Kosi Bay area, falls under the protected St Lucia Wetlands area which forms part of a World Heritage Site.

The beach at Kosi Bay is considered to be one of the most pristine estuarine lake systems in Africa. There are actually four inter-connected lakes that are fed by the Siyadla and Nswamanzi Rivers from the south and west respectively. The “aManzamnyama” or “Black Water” Lake is also known as Fourth Lake, and is home to many hippos and crocodiles.  This lake drains into Nhlanga Lake which is also the largest lake in the system. .The four lakes form part of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the KwaZulu-Natal Province of South Africa.  Kosi Bay estuary is actually only 2 kilometres from the border of Mozambique.

Kosi Bay beach is amazingly quiet and the River Mouth is referred to locally as ‘the Aquarium’ due to the clear waters and the wide variety of fish living here. One of the reasons Kosi Bay is famous is because of the traditional fish-traps that are still used today to catch fish as they swim in and out of the estuary. The mouth of the estuary is a popular spot to snorkel at and where you can often see a variety of tropical fish including the Moray Eel and Stone Fish.

Many people come to the area to experience the diversity of wildlife that lives here including the loggerhead and leatherback sea turtles that come here annually to lay their eggs on the beach. The waters here are also home to crocodiles, duiker and Bull sharks.

In order to preserve this largely unspoilt and beautiful area it is important to understand how to get about. Many of the roads are pure sand and become very rough during dry conditions, while others are filled with building rubble or gravel by the community and surrounding lodges in order to provide easier access for most 2 wheel drive vehicles. Cars that are low to the ground are not recommended, as the 2 wheel tracks on the sandy roads often leave a centre bump in the road that can damage the underneath of your vehicle. The use of 4x4 vehicles on roads here is recommended as the sand can often be very thick in places. Getting to the Kosi Bay Mouth, Black Rock and other beaches, including driving around in Mozambique are best explored in a 4x4 or 4WD vehicle.

Quad Bikes are not allowed as they are off road vehicles and not licensed to be driven on a public road.  The roads that lead to the lakes, the lodges and private dwellings in Kosi Bay are accessed by the public and are therefore considered a public road.

KwaZulu-Natal is a popular hosliday destination in South Africa both for locals and for international visitors. The wonderful beaches along the coastline of KZN as well the wide range of KwaZulu-Natal holiday accommodation has people coming back year after year.

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