A safari doesn’t necessarily have to mean climbing into an open-top vehicle and heading into the bush.
Across South Africa, rivers, estuaries, lakes and coastal waters offer a very different way of encountering wildlife: from watching hippos surface beside a boat to seeing elephants drinking along the shores of a lake.
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Some experiences are firmly in the traditional safari category, while others take you out into the ocean in search of whales, dolphins, seals and other marine life.
Here are some of the places where you can swap four wheels for the water.
1. St Lucia, KwaZulu-Natal
One of the most accessible places in South Africa for a genuine wildlife experience from the water is the St Lucia Estuary in iSimangaliso Wetland Park.
Boat cruises on the estuary offer the chance to see hippos and Nile crocodiles in their natural habitat, along with large numbers of waterbirds. The park itself describes the experience as viewing these animals from the comfort of a purpose-built passenger ferry.
The shallow-draft boats can get relatively close to the wildlife while remaining on the water, making this a particularly different way to experience one of South Africa’s major wetland ecosystems.
It’s also not just about the big animals: the estuary is an important habitat for a huge variety of birdlife.
2. Lake Jozini, KwaZulu-Natal
For something that feels much more like a traditional safari from a boat, head north to Lake Jozini, also known as Pongolapoort Dam.
The enormous lake is bordered by the Pongola Game Reserve and other wildlife areas, creating the unusual opportunity to cruise through an area where animals come down to the water.
Boat cruises can offer views of elephants and other game along the shoreline, while hippos and crocodiles are also associated with the lake and surrounding waterways. The Jozini municipality describes the dam as being surrounded by wildlife and notes that the Pongola gorge is particularly worth exploring by boat.
The Pongola Game Reserve also operates a safari boat on the dam, with cruises specifically aimed at combining the scenery with game and bird viewing.
For an even more unusual experience, visitors can spend several nights aboard a houseboat while cruising Lake Jozini, with game viewing and birdwatching forming part of the experience.
3. Knysna, Western Cape
Knysna offers a completely different version of a water-based wildlife experience.
The famous Knysna Lagoon is actually an estuary, and boat trips can take visitors through the lagoon and out towards the Knysna Heads.
The area is particularly rich in marine life. Seals and dolphins can be spotted in the lower reaches of the estuary, while boat-based excursions beyond the Heads can encounter whales, dolphins and seabirds.
During whale season, usually from June to November, southern right and humpback whales pass the area, while orcas and Bryde’s whales may also be encountered.
There are also more leisurely lagoon cruises if you’re after something that involves wildlife spotting without quite so much adventure.
4. Hermanus, Western Cape
Hermanus is famous for watching whales from land, but one of the best ways to get a completely different perspective is to head out into Walker Bay by boat.
Boat-based whale watching generally operates during the whale season, with southern right whales, humpback whales and Bryde’s whales among the species that may be encountered. Dolphins and seabirds can also make an appearance.
The main season runs roughly from June to November, although exact sightings naturally depend on the animals and conditions.
Hermanus Tourism says licensed operators are permitted to approach whales to within 50 metres, while whales can also choose to approach the boats themselves.
That makes a boat trip a particularly memorable option during the spring whale season.
5. Plettenberg Bay, Western Cape
Plettenberg Bay is another good choice if your idea of wildlife from the water leans more towards marine safaris than traditional game viewing.
Boat operators offer trips around Robberg Nature Reserve and its marine protected area, where visitors can encounter seals and other marine life.
The wider Garden Route coastline is also home to whales, dolphins and Cape fur seals, making the region a particularly rich stretch of coast for marine wildlife encounters.
6. Simon’s Town and False Bay, Western Cape
You don’t necessarily have to leave Cape Town to get onto the water in search of wildlife.
Boat trips from Simon’s Town head into False Bay for experiences ranging from seal cruises to whale and dolphin watching. Kayaking around Simon’s Town is a great way of seeing African penguins and other marine life from the water.
False Bay itself supports an impressive range of marine life, including Cape fur seals, dolphins and whales.
For those who want something considerably more adrenaline-fuelled, shark-focused boat trips also operate in the bay.
7. Colchester and the Sundays River, Eastern Cape
Near Addo Elephant National Park, the Sundays River provides another opportunity to experience the landscape from the water.
River cruises travel along the Sundays River estuary, with the surrounding riverbanks providing opportunities to see birdlife and smaller wildlife such as duiker, bushbuck and kudu.
It isn’t a replacement for an Addo game drive; you’re not cruising down the river expecting an elephant herd to swim past, but it is an interesting way to experience the wider ecosystem around the park.
The river cruises also provide access to the spectacular Alexandria Coastal Dune Field at the river mouth.
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