South Africa's Sardine Run

(Dive Travel Business News - January 22, 2012) -- This article is provided by shark specialist Debbie Smith, owner of  eco-tourism company Diving With Sharks. Her specialty area is annual Sardine Run in South Africa.

The annual migration of Sardine (Sardinops Sagax) from the Agulhas Bank of the Cape, past the Wild Coast and up to the southern portions of KwaZulu Natal to spawn and then return, takes place during South Africa’s winter months and is a natural phenomenon known as the “Sardine Run”. It is rated to be the marine equivalent of the famous Wildebeest migration that takes place on the Masai Mara and Serengeti plains of central Africa and is just as thrilling and spectacular to witness.

The annual migration of Sardine (Sardinops Sagax) from the Agulhas Bank of the Cape, past the Wild Coast and
up to the southern portions of KwaZulu Natal to spawn and then return, takes place during South Africa’s winter
months and is a natural phenomenon known as the “Sardine Run”. It is rated to be the marine equivalent of the
famous Wildebeest migration that takes place on the Masai Mara and Serengeti plains of central Africa and is just as
thrilling and spectacular to witness.

Driven by forces not yet completely understood, millions upon millions of sardines leave their cool Cape habitat and
move east following the cold current, which is in turn driven up from the south by winter storms, normally during
the June to August months. The northwards movement of sardines is facilitated by a cold inshore northward – flowing countercurrent originating on the Agulhas bank and pushed northwards by these annual winter cold fronts from the south.

This expands the suitable habitat favorable to sardines and can extend as high up the KwaZulu- Natal (KZN)
coastline as Durban/Umdloti area, after which the remaining sardines and their fry head out to deeper water and use
the Agulhas main stream to return to cooler Cape waters. Sardines prefer a water temperature ranging between 14 C
– 20 C therefore travel according to temperature changes and thermoclines, at times frustrating sardine run operators
in judging where the action will pop up.

Port St John’s to Mbotyi, with the continental shelf running close to land, is a prominent location as deep water is
close to shore, concentrating both the cold current and the sardines, pushing them closer to shore and condensing the
shoals, which in turn attracts a huge variety of major predators.

Huge shoals travel up the coastline feeding in nutrient rich waters with literally thousands of sharks, dolphins, game
fish and oceanic birds following the sardines up the coast, constantly harassing and splintering pockets from the
main shoals and feeding on these at their own leisure. This is by far one of the greatest congregations of ocean predators known to man.

As a spectator of the sardine run, one will often hear the term ‘Bait ball’. Thousands of common dolphin (Delphinus
delphis) form super pods of sometimes 100 – 30 000 strong and set off in search of the sardines. The Common dolphin has developed a technique of isolating a shoal of sardines and herding them by using streams of bubbles, sonar and incredible teamwork into tight pockets known as “bait balls”. They also have the amazing ability to time giving birth to their young just before the sardine run, thus allowing the adults to wean and teach hunting tactics to their calves during this incredibly food rich period of the year.

In turn, many shark species take advantage of this great feed, occasionally including the Great white shark
(Carcharodon carcharias),Tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier), Zambezi / Bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas), but most commonly seen are Copper/Bronze whaler sharks (Carcharhinus brachyurus) and Dusky sharks (Carcharhinus obscurus), which when attracted to the activity, arrive sometimes in their thousands. At times dolphin and shark can be seen seemingly working together in containing the “bait ball” taking turns in dashing through the food source with mouths open gulping down as many sardines as possible until not a single one is left.

Most “bait balls” are generally driven to the surface effectively blocking off one avenue of escape. This in turn allows oceanic bird species to take full advantage of this incredible food source. Albatrosses (Diomedeidae), Terns ( Sternidae ) ,Cape Cormorant (Phalacrocorax capensis) and Skua’s to name a few, though the most common of these is the Cape Gannet (Morus capensis). These birds have amazing eyesight and have the ability to plummet 30 – 40 meters from the air into the frenzy and amazingly reach depths of 8 – 10m where they animatedly swim around snapping and swallowing any sardine
within reach. 

Brydes whales (Balaenoptera edeni) are also regularly seen taking part in the feed by sounding and rocketing up
from the depths with mouth open to engulf as much of a “bait ball” as possible They can be seen on the outskirts or in the middle of the action and do not wait for any permission to start feeding, taking notice of nothing else in doing so. Many a snorkeller has a tale or two of an up close and personal encounter with a Bryde’s whale.

Another totally unrelated migration that takes place during the same period as the sardine movement is that of the
Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) traveling from Antarctic waters northwards to the warmer waters of
Mozambique and Tanzania for calving and breeding purposes. A number of other whale species also make an appearance during the “run” as well, including Southern Right (Eubalaena australis) and Minke whales (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) to name a few.

The fascination for diving in the famous sardine run is shared by many avid photographers, divers and snorkellers,
most come back religiously year after year to participate in the excitement and adventure. Boat based viewing is also very popular among photographers and general nature lovers and allows one to get closer
to the action and excitement.

For more information about the annual Sardine Run visit Diving with Sharks or contact Debbie Smith at debbie@divingwithsharks.co.za.

About the Author:  A specialist in-water guide with an ocean career spanning more than 25 years, Debbie Smith is the founder owner and manager of a specialist eco tourism company called “Diving with Sharks” in Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa. Aside from the sardine run, her company specializes in shark diving, shark awareness education, mobile guided trips and PADI dive training (on request).  Her company has established a pioneering new operating base in Port St John’s, the home of the sardine run, in conjunction with Offshore Africa Port St John’s and also affords Debbie a home based advantage for the annual sardine migration. Debbie was the first South African to be inducted into the International Women Divers Hall of Fame for her work and impact in the underwater world.

Photo:  Courtesy South African Tourism

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