THE KRUGER NATIONAL PARK, SOUTH AFRICA

Divers interested in a trip to Mozambique and/or South Africa should plan on considering 2 or 3 days in the world famous Kruger National Park.  The Kruger Park is located in the north-east of South Africa along more than 200 miles of the border with Mozambique and is easily accessible from all In Depth Dive Travel destinations in Mozambique and South Africa. 

Originally founded in 1898 as the Sabie Game Reserve by then South African President Paul Kruger, the Kruger Park was officially declared South Africa’s first National Park in 1926. The Park is described as a “biodiversity hot spot the size of a small country”. Covering more than 7,400 square miles, approximately the size of Massachusetts, the Kruger National Park is home to 137 species of mammals and is internationally recognized as one of the world’s premier wildlife conservation areas. 

The main attractions in the Kruger Park include the opportunity to come face to face with the “African Big 5” in the wild. The members of the “Big 5” are all present in the Park in healthy and sustainable numbers:  the African Elephant (the largest terrestrial animal on the planet), the Cape Buffalo, Rhinoceros (both White and Black Rhinos are in the Kruger), Lion and Leopard: more than 15,000 buffalo, 8,000 elephants, 1,500 lions, 900 leopards and 300 rhino. The Kruger Park is firmly established as one of the top places in all of Africa to see the “Big 5” and if you want to see them, then the Kruger is the African wildlife park for you. 

The Kruger Park is also the home to more than 300 endangered Cheetahs and at least 75% of the remaining 400 critically endangered African Wild Dogs left in the wild. Sightings of both of these incredibly rare and unique species are relatively common in the Park. Giraffe, Zebra, Hippopotamus, Crocodile, Jackal, Hyena, Warthog and numerous species of Antelope are all frequently encountered. 

The southern region of the Kruger National Park is defined as being the area between the Crocodile and Sabie Rivers. This southern part of the Park, home to the jagged Lebombo Mountain range which marks the border with Mozambique, features the largest concentration of wildlife in all of the Kruger. For clients of In Depth Dive Travel going on safari in the Park, the safari tours which we offer all focus on this southern region. 

In Depth Dive Travel clients coming to the Park from Mozambique fly from Inhambane to Maputo and then transfer by land through the border to the Park. For clients coming from a South African dive destination, flights are available directly to the Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport, located less than 30 minutes from the Park.