Marine life

Loggerhead Turtle

Caretta carettaVulnerable

The loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta), or loggerhead, is an oceanic turtle distributed throughout the world.

from Wikipedia

Showing stays that recordLoggerhead Turtle2 stays list it on site or nearby

Species insights▾

When to visit

Recorded year-round

Recorded in every month, so no month is the wrong month to look. We would rather say that than invent a best time.

Best monthsAny month

Records154 records

Curve from 154 national iNaturalist observations, not from one property. Single-month spikes are discarded as upload artefacts, and below 50 records we show no curve at all.

Where you'll find it

KwaZulu-Natal and beyond

Provinces where Loggerhead Turtle is most recorded. Tap one to find places to stay.

KwaZulu-Natal

58%Western Cape

34%Eastern Cape

154 records, iNaturalist

Stays that give back

2 results in South Africa

Thonga Beach Lodge

Manguzi

Loggerhead Turtle recorded here · Forest biome · 60 birds recorded · Humpback whale, Southern right whale · Canoeing, Snorkelling

Supports Isibindi Foundation

Price on request

Kosi Forest Lodge

Manguzi

Loggerhead Turtle recorded here · Forest biome · 434 birds recorded · Hippopotamus, Nile crocodile · Canoeing, Fishing

Supports Isibindi Foundation and 1 other

Price on request

More stays nearby

Babylonstoren

Klapmuts, Simondium

12 birds recorded · Angulate tortoise, Wild olive · Spa, Vineyards

Price on request

Tanda Tula Safari Camp

Limpopo

Savanna biome · 27 birds recorded · Lion, Leopard · Guided walk, Game drives

Price on request

Rhino Ridge Safari Lodge

Hluhluwe

Savanna biome · 285 birds recorded · African wild dog, Spotted hyena · Game drives

Supports Isibindi Foundation

Price on request

La Clé Lodge & Villas

Franschhoek

Fynbos biome · Cycling

Price on request

Coot Club

Stanford

Fynbos biome · 8 birds recorded · White milkwood, Southern right whale · Whale watching, Canoeing

Price on request

Ubuntu Lodge at Elephant Point

Hazyview

Savanna biome · 1 bird recorded · Leopard, Lion · Safaris, Scenic drives

Price on request

Vergenoegd Löw Boutique Hotel & Spa

Somerset West

Fynbos biome · 1 bird recorded · Vineyards, Wine tasting

Price on request

Bartholomeus Klip Farmhouse

Riebeek Valley, Riebeek West

Fynbos biome · 149 birds recorded · Black wildebeest, Bontebok · Horse riding, Hiking

Supports BirdLife South Africa

From R 5,636 per night

Maninghi Lodge

Hoedspruit

Savanna biome · 8 birds recorded · Giraffe, African elephant · Game drives

Supports DAKTARI Bush School and 1 other

Price on request

Rhino Sands Safari Camp

Hazyview

Savanna biome · 30 birds recorded · Leopard, Lion · Safaris, Scenic drives

Supports Zululand Conservation Trust and 1 other

From R 22,680 per night

Franschhoek Country House & Villas

Franschhoek

Fynbos biome · 1 bird recorded · Spa, Mountain biking

Supports Cape Leopard Trust

From R 6,195 per night

Tintswalo at Boulders

Simon's Town, Cape Town

Fynbos biome · 1 bird recorded · Surfing, Scenic drives

Supports SANCCOB and 4 others

Price on request

De Hoop Villa

Western Cape

Fynbos biome · 185 birds recorded · Bontebok, Southern right whale · Whale watching, Trail running

Price on request

Melkkamer Homestead, De Hoop

Western Cape

Fynbos biome · 185 birds recorded · Bontebok, Southern right whale · Whale watching, Trail running

Price on request

De Hoop Opstal

Western Cape

Fynbos biome · 185 birds recorded · Bontebok, Southern right whale · Whale watching, Trail running

Price on request

De Hoop in Plett

Plettenberg Bay

Fynbos biome · Southern right whale · Whale watching, Hiking

Price on request

De Mond Villa, De Hoop

Western Cape

Fynbos biome · 185 birds recorded · Bontebok, Southern right whale · Whale watching, Trail running

Price on request

Nalu Villa

Camps Bay, Cape Town

Price on request

Singita Ebony Lodge

Mpumalanga

Savanna biome · 42 birds recorded · Lion, Leopard

Price on request

Singita Boulders Lodge

Mpumalanga

Savanna biome · 43 birds recorded · Lion, Leopard

Price on request

Singita Lebombo Villa

Mpumalanga

Savanna biome

Price on request

Singita Sweni Lodge

Mpumalanga

Savanna biome · 53 birds recorded · Lion, Leopard

Price on request

Plan a trip around these stays

Planning a trip

When and where to find the Loggerhead Turtle

IUCN Red List

Vulnerable

Species

Caretta caretta

Records

154

iNaturalist observations

Every booking on Spekboom supports conservation.

Questions travellers ask

A record means a host has seen the Loggerhead Turtle on the property or nearby. It is never a guarantee of a sighting.

More about the Loggerhead Turtle

Every summer loggerhead turtles come ashore on the beaches of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park in northern KwaZulu-Natal to dig their nests, on the same wild Maputaland coast between Kosi Bay and Sodwana where they hatched decades earlier. It is one of the few places in the world where you can walk a beach at night with a guide and watch a turtle lay her eggs.

Nesting runs from about November to February, and the hatchlings break out and run for the sea from late December into March. Turtle tracking happens after dark on a licensed tour: private vehicles are banned from these beaches, and only permitted operators may take guests onto the sand at night. The beaches have been monitored since 1963, one of the longest-running turtle programmes anywhere, and several hundred loggerhead females now nest here each season.

The stays on this page sit on that coast, in coastal forest above the dunes or beside the Kosi lakes, and their hosts run or book the tracking walks in season. A sighting is never guaranteed, but on a December night in the right place it is likely. Out of season the same coast offers snorkelling on the reefs, humpback whales in winter and the lakes and fish traps of the Thonga people.

When is the best time to see loggerhead turtles nesting?

November to February for nesting females, with December and January usually the busiest nights. Hatchlings emerge from late December into March. Outside those months the turtles are at sea and the beaches are quiet.

Where can you see turtles nesting in South Africa?

On the iSimangaliso coast of northern KwaZulu-Natal, between Kosi Bay, Mabibi and Sodwana Bay. The stays on this page are on that coast, and the hosts arrange the licensed night walks.

Can I go onto the beach on my own to look for turtles?

Not at night in season. The nesting beaches are protected, private vehicles are banned from them and only licensed operators may take guests out after dark. A guide keeps a respectful distance, keeps lights off until she is laying and makes sure the hatchlings reach the sea.

What is the conservation status of the Loggerhead Turtle?

The Loggerhead Turtle (Caretta caretta) is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.

What is the Loggerhead Turtle?

The loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta), or loggerhead, is an oceanic turtle distributed throughout the world. It is a marine reptile, belonging to the family Cheloniidae. The average loggerhead measures around 90 cm (35 in) long when fully grown, although larger specimens of up to 280 cm (110 in) have been discovered.