Every South African winter, billions of sardines migrate north in the annual Sardine Run, a migration bigger than the Serengeti’s wildebeest migration, attracting thousands of tourists to dive the run each year. Taking place between May and July every year, the Sardine Run can result in huge shoals of up to nine miles (15 kilometers) long, two miles (3.5 kilometers) wide, and 130 feet (40 meters) deep. The migration is so vast that it can be seen from space.
South Africa’s Wild Coast runs from East London in the south of the Eastern Cape all the way to the border of KwaZulu-Natal in the north. The area between Port St. Johns towards Mboyti is best to witness the event, which is why most operators are in the region of the Transkei during June and July.
The KwaZulu-Natal sardine run, popularly known as the “greatest shoal on Earth,” is a mass migration of South African sardines from their temperate core range into the subtropical Indian Ocean.
Sardine Run Map
The Phenomenon
Billions of sardines spawn in the cool waters of the Agulhas Bank and move northward along the east coast of South Africa, preferring the colder water. They swim in shoals to increase their own safety. Imagine watching a pod of common dolphins come up from the depths to force a shoal of sardines to the surface.
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In terms of biomass, researchers estimate the sardine run could rival East Africa’s great wildebeest migration. However, little is known of the phenomenon. There are no accurate figures on how many sardines make the passage, but huge shoals 30km in length long and 4km wide have been known to hug the coastline as they make their passage.
The sardine run of South Africa occurs from May through July, when billions of sardine spawn in the cool waters of the Agulhas Bank and then move northward along the east coast of South Africa. Their sheer numbers create a feeding frenzy along the coastline.
One of the theories is, that having spawned and not eaten the sardines simply die, though theory has not been proven. Some observers state they return south via deeper water making them no longer visible. When the shoals reach the coast of Durban, they seem to disappear, and no one really knows why.
The Predators
Following the shoals are a host of predators. With it come the predators-sharks, whales, dolphins, birds, and more-as they chase tightly packed bait balls in frenzied feeding.
Following the shoals are a host of predators, including up to 20,000 common dolphins, thousands of copper sharks, cape fur seals, great white sharks, tens of thousands of Cape gannets and the magnificent Bryde’s Whales. The later will often engulf a shallow bait ball in their entirety.
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The number and variety of sharks are astounding: Bronze Whalers, Bull Sharks locally called Zambezies, Hammerheads, Coppers and Great Whites can be seen by the hundreds. Bottlenose and Common dolphins join in the excitement and employ a hunting strategy that works the shoals into what is referred to as a “baitball”.
As a baleen whale, the Bryde’s Whale will suck in a massive amount of water and bait fish during a single lunge at a bait ball. Baitballs are formed as dolphins start to round up pockets of sardines using streams of bubbles and trapping them against the ocean's surface.
As the sardines are driven into shallower water, Cape gannets strike. To see hundreds of birds dive-bombing is spectacular. They plunge in formation from heights of almost 30m, hitting the water at 90km/h and reaching depths of 10m or more.
A minute or two later, they surface, sardine in mouth, while the frantic bubbles of the dolphins foam the surface of the ocean, amid a thrash of tails and dorsal fins.
The Sardine Run: 2021
Diving the Sardine Run
The Sardine Run is a bucket-list diving destination, and tourists pay top dollar for off-shore expeditions. In 2018, I went on my first “run”, spending the week on a rigid inflatable boat, bouncing across turbulent whitecaps and blasted by frigid saltwater spray.
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The shoals are often more than 4 miles long, 1 mile wide and 30 yards deep and are clearly visible from spotter planes, a feature that is included in our trips to assure your best possible chance of experiencing this phenomenon. Picture tens of thousands of birds plunging from the sky, feeding on the fish, with larger game fish and numerous species of sharks all feasting on the wealth of food that is available.
At the mercy of the currents, the scene unfolded: Dolphins herding sardines into a tight bait ball as gannets rained down from the sky, shooting through the water like underwater missiles. Dusky sharks plowed through, an explosion of glittering scales spilling out from their gills.
The eternal search for the best dive ever is over. In an attempt to look bigger, the tiny silver fish school together in a last-ditch effort for survival. The fish caught on the outside of the bait ball look like race cars speeding around a track before swarming sharks pierce through the middle, emerging on the other side with a mouth full of sardines. This sight alone would make any diver celebrate, but this dive has even more.
During the Sardine Run, most of the diving centers on the East Coast pack up their boats, leave their operations and travel down to the Wild Coast, where the demand for boats is at its highest.
Diving Requirements and Recommendations
Because of the fast-paced action and techniques required for sardine run scuba diving, these trips best suit experienced divers. Many operators ask for a minimum certification of PADI Advanced Open Water Diver with 50+ logged scuba dives, although some also run specialist trips for snorkelers or freedivers.
Here are some recommendations if you want to dive the Sardine Run:
- Advanced Scuba Diver Certification only. Divers will be required to present their dive cards and/ or log-books upon arrival.
- Dive travel insurance is required for all guests - must be organized in country of origin.
- Bring your own dive gear, meaning no brightly-colored gear (fins especially should not be white or silver). Black gloves are also recommended, as are a good mask, snorkel and windbreaker (jacket).
- You should bring a warm jacket and a 5- to 7-millimeter wetsuit with a hoodie. Please do not come if you are not a strong swimmer no matter what your grade. Do not come if you are a nervous diver, or if you are scared of sharks.
Skills to Prepare For a Sardine Run Trip
- Boat Diver
- Peak Performance Buoyancy
- Drift Diver
- Digital Underwater Photographer
- Dry Suit Diver. Wearing a drysuit goes a long way to keeping warm while waiting for the action to start. This course will show you how to master dry suit skills above and below the water.
When and Where to Go
Generally speaking, the sardines start off at South Africa’s Agulhas Bank and continue as far north as Mozambique‘s coastline before turning east into the Indian Ocean. Exact sardine run dates can vary from year to year. However, local dive shops and sardine run tour operators work closely with fishing boats and pilots to get updates and track the action.
In the early migration phase (May-June), the best chances of witnessing this spectacle are around Gqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth) and East London. Later, between June and July, you’ll want to head further north - try Port St.
Scientific Research and Findings
Using genomic and transcriptomic data from sardines collected around the South African coast, researchers identified two stocks, one cool temperate (Atlantic) and the other warm temperate (Indian Ocean). Unexpectedly, they found that sardines participating in the sardine run are primarily of Atlantic origin and thus prefer colder water.
The sequence of events that results in a sardine run is briefly summarized in light of our evidence: During winter, shelf waters off the eastern south coast can temporarily become cooler than those off the western south coast, providing appropriate conditions that cause migrants of cool-temperate Atlantic ancestry to aggregate on the eastern south coast. Here, cooling of the shelf environment due to the uplift of cold, nutrient-rich waters by cyclonic eddies, and wind-driven advection and vertical mixing that promote shoreward movement of these cold waters, result in conditions of elevated productivity that briefly resemble those found during summer upwelling in the Atlantic Ocean.
The intermittent nature and random timing of these events provide an explanation for why the sardine run does not occur at the same time or with the same intensity every year.
Challenges and Inclusivity
The Sardine Run is a bucket-list diving destination, and tourists pay top dollar for off-shore expeditions. Sardine run dive expeditions range anywhere from USD$3,000-$7,000-and that’s exclusive of flights. Like many things in South Africa, the best goods are exported.
In a country where people of color are often excluded from ocean narratives, Ndhlovu made waves when she was certified as South Africa’s first Black freediving instructor. Some companies have taken the challenge into their own hands, beginning with skills development in disadvantaged communities to dismantle the barriers to entry.
In Port St. John’s, Blacktip Swim School is the first locally owned and managed swim school founded by Nqobile Jojo, Philani Msungubali and Siyamcela Goniwe and partnered with Offshore Africa, a leading operator in the area.
One thing is for certain: The Wild Coast needs a more permanent solution. Nonetheless, some argue that funding may not be enough, nor effective.
Here is a table summarizing key information about the Sardine Run:
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Timing | May to July |
| Location | East Coast of South Africa, from Agulhas Bank to KwaZulu-Natal |
| Participants | Billions of sardines, diverse predators (dolphins, sharks, whales, birds) |
| Diving Requirements | Advanced Open Water Diver certification, 50+ logged dives recommended |
| Water Temperature | 59 - 70 F/ 15 - 21 C |
| Visibility | 2 - 20m/ 6 ft - 60ft |
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