Durban - Sardine watchers will be pleased to hear activity down the coast suggests a good run this season.
“The KZN Sharks Board have conducted three sardine observation flights into the Eastern Cape to date,” said KZN Sharks Board’s head of operations Greg Thompson yesterday.
“Last week’s flight was still hampered by poor water visibility for most of the coastline, especially in KZN due to the latest flooding. However, as we got into the Eastern Cape waters and from the Msikaba area the sardine related activity started to pick up, which was good to see.
“The activity continued throughout the flight to Hole in the Wall. Large groups of bottlenose and common dolphins were seen moving north with numerous shoals of sardines close to the backline in some areas.
“These indicators are all positive as the sardines make their way up from the Eastern Cape towards KwaZulu-Natal, especially when you take the increase in shark activity at Grosvenor into consideration,” said Thompson.
“There is also a good possibility that we may have missed activity further north towards KZN because of the poor visibility,” he added.
“These fish can move through in the deep or in the discoloured water that is being experienced at the moment, out of sight of most of the predators, and arrive in KZN without warning.
“There is always the possibility that they continue moving north on the deeper line and not be seen at all.”
The Independent on Saturday