Durban – The KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board will start monitoring the Sardine Run next week as the countdown to the spectacle begins.
KZN Sharks Board operations manager Greg Thompson said they would start their Sardine Run monitoring in the second week of May.
“Our first few flights are normally through to East London to try to gauge how far north the sardines have moved. This is to ensure that our shark safety gear is removed well before the first pockets reach KZN waters,” explained Thompson.
“It’s fairly easy to monitor large quantities of sardines with associated predators in pursuit, but the small pilot shoals that pop up out of nowhere can be a challenge. Therefore, we also rely on the information and sightings we receive from the residents, fisherman and dive charters in the Eastern Cape. Let’s hope we are in for another bumper year of sardine fever!”
Dr Ryan Daly of the Oceanographic Research Institute in Durban and the South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity, who is always keeping an eye on sardine action, said conditions were right for another bumper year.
“What we know about the sardines so far is that there appears to be a lot in the Western Cape with sightings in the Plettenberg Bay area,” Daly said.
“We know they’re down in the Cape, the question is will they come up here?”
Daly said that although recent floods in KZN caused a surge in water and debris into the Indian Ocean, the impact on the ocean had largely passed, and it should not impact the Sardine Run which is expected to arrive this month.
“Temperature is the main thing that dictates the timing and extent of the movement up the coast. It has been an unusual couple of years in that they’ve been very wet. But 2020 and 2021 were relatively good Sardine Runs, both of which were similarly wet being La Niña years. It’s holding the same pattern, so I think we’re going to get another good one. But we’ll have to wait and see!”
Ugu South Coast Tourism chief executive Phelisa Mangcu said the Sardine Run was a highlight on the KZN South Coast’s tourism calendar.
“We’re looking forward to welcoming visitors who can finally experience this natural display after two years in lockdown and the devastating recent floods,” Mangcu said.
“Whether from the land, the sea or the sky, we have the best viewpoints for our many visitors who are looking for a really unique family-friendly holiday.”
Meanwhile, the Sardine Run was ranked the most Insta-worthy scuba-diving spots in the world.
The Sardine Run at Agulhas Bank had 23 999 Instagram hashtags.
South Africa had managed to beat Tiger Beach, Grand Bahama in the Bahamas which had 23 383 Instagram hashtags.
Third was Tubbataha Reef in the Philippines with 11 692 Instagram hashtags.
Build Your Aquarium.com said its experts sought to discover the most Instagrammable scuba-diving spots by creating a seed list of the 14 most popular diving destinations around the world, and collecting the number of hashtags each had generated.
“The title of the most Instagrammable scuba-diving spot goes to the Sardine Run in South Africa with 23 999 hashtags. Every year from May to July, scuba divers have the opportunity to witness the magnificent view of billions of sardines swimming up the coast of South Africa towards Mozambique,” it said.
Daily News