Why Does St Lucia Wetland Seal From Ocean?
🕐 7 min read | 🌍 Natural Wonders 🔒 Key Takeaways Greater St Lucia Wetland spans 35,000 hectares across KwaZulu-Natal and is Africa's largest estuarine system, shaped by ancient sand barriers that separate inland lakes from the Indian Ocean. The wetland dramatically shifts between open-mouth phases (allowing tidal exchange and marine species like tiger sharks) and closed-mouth phases (creating freshwater conditions lasting 2–7 years) driven by rainfall and coastal sand bar dynamics. It supports 500+ fish species and 250+ bird species including critically endangered Wattled Cranes, making it a global biodiversity hotspot and 1999 UNESCO World Heritage Site. The 2014–2017 drought caused catastrophic fish kills and demonstrated climate change's devastating impact, with freshwater inflow reduced by up to 70% and hypersalinity exceeding 120 parts per thousand. Along South Africa's northeastern coast lies a watery wilderness that defies ecological expectation: the...