Shakati Beach Lodge is situated in the Vilankulos Coastal & Wildlife Sanctuary on the Southern Mozambique Coast within 30 000 ha of exquisite marine and wildlife territory waiting to be explored. The Sanctuary is a large, fully protected coastal habitat. It is home to a diversity of both marine and terrestrial species, many of which are classified rare or endangered. Preservation of these assets is critical and the conservation practices employed by The Sanctuary are receiving increasingly wide international recognition and acclaim.
Shakati Beach Lodge fully supports The Sanctuary’s intention of providing a network of Marine Protected Areas / breeding grounds adequate to significantly enhance regional fish and invertebrates.
Large numbers of manta rays and whale sharks can been spotted on the beautiful coastline of The Sanctuary. Shakati Beach Lodge guests often spot the massive humpback dolphins which is thankfully showing remarkable recovery after being mercilessly hunted to near extinction.
Four of the five species of marine turtles found in The Sanctuary waters and region, all of which are classified as endangered, have been confirmed to nest on The Sanctuary beaches, more species than on any other mainland area in the World. Recent sightings have confirmed that both leatherback turtles and hawksbill turtles actually nest here, joining the loggerhead and green turtles that come ashore to lay eggs each summer and the Olive Ridley turtles that feed in our waters.
The elusive and critically endangered Dugong finds shelter in The Sanctuary’s protected waters and are most often sighted around Magaruque Island and further north towards Paradise Island. Humpback dolphins are a regular sighting from Shakati Beach Lodge.
Some of the richest biodiversity in Mozambique is found at The Sanctuary and The Sanctuary ranks amongst the top biodiversity “hotspots” in Africa.
The wildlife in The Sanctuary includes the Livingston’s Eland, Sable, Blue Wildebeest, Kudu, Nyala, Bushbuck, Giraffe, Zebra, Waterbuck, Red and Grey Duiker, Suni, Steenbok and Bush Pigs. There are over 100 Wildebeest and Eland roaming The Sanctuary currently. Eland and Giraffes can regularly be seen among the mangroves.
The incredible bird life on The Sanctuary is any bird enthusiasts dream – large flocks of Flamingos and the regular Pelicans will take your breath away. The latest bird census recorded in 2017 indicated a total of 298 species of birds within The Sanctuary.