Riders of the storm
Experience the start of an incredible journey with Endorphin Expeditions
By Leon Louw founder of Endorphin Expeditions
A female Leatherback turtle, born on the beach of Kosi Bay on the Northern KwaZulu Natal coast of South Africa, can swim more than 2000km to find fertile feeding ground between coral reefs or near the continental shelf somewhere in the ocean.
That is if she is lucky enough to survive as a hatchling and during her first few years bobbing around on the surface of the deep dark ocean. The odds are stacked against her.
After 26 to 36 years, she will return to that same stretch of sand where she was born to lay her eggs, before taking to the deep waters again. She will now return each year between November and January to dig a nest and lay her eggs within metres from where she was born and where she took to the beach the previous year.
Leatherbacks and Loggerheads
Weighing in at about 650kg Leatherbacks are massive and if they are lucky, can live for more than 100 years. But its not only Leatherbacks that return to the inimitable beach of Kosi Bay. Loggerhead turtles, which are much smaller, shuffle out of the ocean to lay their eggs in larger numbers than their heavy cousins. Their hatchlings face the same risks though.
A turtle tour in Kosi Bay is a once in a lifetime opportunity to witness these rare and endangered creatures coming ashore to lay eggs and to see the hatchlings return to sea again.
From January through to April the tiny, almost invisible trails of baby turtles scatter from holes below the dunes. Sadly, very few of them reach the sea.
Although leatherback and loggerhead turtles usually lay around 100 eggs in a nest, and dig on average five nests in a season, it’s estimated that scarcely one in a thousand hatchlings make it to maturity.
Start of a treacherous journey
From the moment a sea turtle egg hits the damp sand of a nest, it’s under threat. While adult Leatherbacks and Loggerheads weigh hundreds of kilograms and are almost immune to natural predators, their hatchlings are barely two centimetres long and weigh just more than one kilogram.
For the survivors this is only the start of a treacherous journey that you might be able to witness if you travel with Endorphin Expeditions on our next overland South Africa and Eswatini adventure tour. Our Kosi Bay stop is one of many lifechanging moments you’ll experience during our 20-day adventure if you travel with Endorphin Expeditions. Our first tour is due to depart in June 2026 so do not miss out, give us a call.
Endorphin Expeditions, a sister company of WhyAfrica, operates specialist group tours across Southern and East Africa. Visit us on www.endorphinexpedtions.co.za
