ISimangaliso Marine Protected Area

The iSimangaliso Marine Protected Area is a coastal and offshore marine protected area in KwaZulu-Natal from the South Africa-Mozambique border in the north to Cape St Lucia lighthouse in the south.

History

The original St Lucia and Maputaland MPAs were proclaimed in the 1970s to protect the coral reefs and the beaches where loggerhead and leatherback turtles make their nests. The Maputaland Marine Protected Area, also known as the Maputaland Marine Reserve, was a marine protected area (MPA) along the Indian Ocean coastline of northern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The Maputaland MPA, which forms part of iSimangaliso Wetland Park, extended a distance of 3 nautical miles (5.6 km; 3.5 mi) seawards from the coast between the Mozambique border and Gobey's Point near Lake Sibhayi. To the south it abuts the St Lucia Marine Protected Area.

In 1998 these MPAs were combined, and a large offshore restricted zone, the iSimangaliso Offshore Marine Protected Area, added in 2019 to become the iSimangaliso MPA. The MPA includes the country's most north-eastern stretch of coastline, is South Africa's only UNESCO marine World Heritage Site and the second largest protected area in the country after the Kruger National Park. iSimangaliso is a Zulu word that means "miracle and wonder".

This subtropical area includes forests dotted with lakes and swamps, as well as coral reefs and deserted beaches. The deep, soft sediment provides homes for spider crabs and deep water rock lobsters.

Purpose

A marine protected area is defined by the IUCN as "A clearly defined geographical space, recognised, dedicated and managed, through legal or other effective means, to achieve the long-term conservation of nature with associated ecosystem services and cultural values".