The KZN Sharks Board conducted an observation flight to assess the movement of sardine shoals in the Eastern Cape on 25 May.
READ MORE: Sharks Board to begin monitoring sardine run from next week
Every year from May to July, billions of sardines migrate up South Africa’s coastline towards Mozambique. This natural phenomenon has been dubbed the ‘sardine run’, and is the most instagrammable scuba diving spot globally.
The recent flooding has left the coastline waters discoloured, but visibility improved from the Msikaba area. Sardine shoals and the following observations were noted as the Sharks Board moved through to Hole-in-the-Wall from Msikaba.
Msikaba
- 20 bottlenose dolphin heading north behind the backline
- 200 common dolphin one kilometre offshore
- Two humpback whales one kilometre offshore
Grosvenor
- 15 to 20 sharks 150m behind backline
- 30 gannets
Goss Point
- Seven small shoals of sardines close to backline
Luphuthana
- 15 to 30 common dolphin one kilometre offshore
Waterfall Bluff
- Three pods of around 500 common dolphin
- 200 gannets
Mbotyi
- Six shoals of sardines
- 80 to 100 bottlenose dolphin
- 1000 common dolphins two kilometres offshore.
Manteku
- One big shoal of sardines
Black Sands
- 1000 common dolphin two kilometres offshore
Mntafufu
- 60 bottlenose dolphin
- 50 gannets
Poenskop
- 500 common dolphins
Umngazi
- 200 bottlenose dolphin one kilometre offshore.
Umngazana
- 60 scattered dolphin one kilometre offshore.
Brazen Head
- Small thin shoals
The Kraal
- 200 scattered bottlenose dolphin
- 50 gannets
- 20 sardine shoals
Mpande
- Several sardine shoals along backline
- 250 bottlenose dolphin
Hluleka
- Several sardine shoals
Mtakatye
- 100 bottlenose dolphin
Presley Bay
- Five shoals of sardine
- 50 bottlenose dolphin
- 50+ gannets
Mdumbi
- 50 bottlenose dolphin
- 20 gannets
Mthatha
- 40 bottlenose dolphin one kilometre offshore
Maphuzi
- 80 bottlenose dolphin
Coffee Bay
- One large shoal of sardines
Hole-in-the-Wall
- Three sardine shoals
- 150 bottlenose dolphin
These numbers are positive indicators that the sardines are steadily making their way up to KZN from the Eastern Cape. The next flight for observation is scheduled to take place on 2 June, should weather conditions permit.
Picture: Lakshmi Sawitri/Flickr Commons
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