Making the most of St Lucia

A hippo spotted on our latest hunt down by the estuary.

We live in a magnificent part of the world here in St Lucia, having the privilege to be located on the largest estuarine system in Africa. Living in such a unique area of the world, we try to make the most of South Africa's first UNESCO World Heritage Site, the iSimangaliso Wetland Park.

In order to do so, we take the volunteers on hikes in the park, encourage night drives and game drives and make trips to Cape Vidal, sometimes for surfing lessons.

However, by far the most exciting and unique experience happens every-other week, when the volunteers pile into one of the African Impact vehicles for a tour around the estuary, beach and town in search of some of the 800 hippos that call the area home.

Sometimes the "hippo hunts" are less than successful, though often we discover hippos roaming the parking lots near the estuary, hanging out in the tall grass by the beach road or munching on the lawns in front of the town's stores. One time we returned from an unsuccessful trip to find the hippo in front of the volunteer house! Other adventures have brought us upon birds, monkeys, bush bucks and crocodiles.

Hippo hunts serve as a great bonding experience for us all, but encountering a hippo in the road (while safely in the vehicle) serves as a great warning to volunteers both new and old. Only when one has experienced the hippo's size and agility first-hand can they really appreciate why hippos are so dangerous.

And it's a much happier encounter from the car than on foot.

The volunteers on a hike in iSimangaliso Wetland Park.

Hippo facts

• Hippos can weigh up to three and a half tonnes.
• Hippos have a lifespan of about 50 years.
• They are the third-largest living land mammal (after elephants and white rhino). 
• Hippos were considered the deity of female pregnancy in ancient Egypt. 
• Hippos will emerge from the water a dusk and walk as far as 8km at night to graze. 
• The name "hippopotamus" is derived from Greek and means "river horse."
• A hippo may eat up to 68kg of grass each night. 
• A hippo's tail is about 22 inches long. 
• Baby hippos are born underwater.