Month by month
iSimangaliso in November
November is the one month at iSimangaliso when nesting turtles and the last humpback whales share the coast, and the first month of summer hours at the gates.
If you only want the answer
The best month to combine turtles and whales. Turtle nesting begins properly and the last humpbacks pass, with 85 mm of rain on about 10 days, days of 26.3°C and nights of 20.4°C.
November weather: early summer
The Open-Meteo normals give 85 mm of rain over about 10 days, a day high of 26.3°C and a night low of 20.4°C. Malaria is a consideration in the northern sections from now until about April; ask a travel clinic.
Turtles and whales on one trip
Loggerheads and leatherbacks come ashore to nest from November, and the humpback season closes at the end of the month. Mid-November is the window for both. Kosi Forest Lodge's turtle tracking opens on 15 November, for ages 8 and over, and Thonga Beach Lodge's turtle walks run from November to February. Night tours are with licensed operators only.
Summer gate hours from 1 November
On 1 November the Eastern Shores, Western Shores and uMkhuze gates move to summer hours of 05:00 to 19:00, which gives early starts for the Cape Vidal drive. iSimangaliso's gate tariff year also ends on 30 November.
Sources
- Open-Meteo climate normals, 1991 to 2020
- iSimangaliso: Eastern Shores and Cape Vidal (read 24 Sep 2026)
- Kosi Forest Lodge: rates (read 24 Sep 2026)
- Thonga Beach Lodge: rates 2026/27 (read 24 Sep 2026)
- stluciasa.com: iSimangaliso visitor information, gate times (read 24 Sep 2026)
- iSimangaliso: turtle tracking (read 24 Sep 2026)