The Sardine Run is in full swing along the KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape coastline of South Africa, and the KZN Sharks Board are keeping a close eye on the activity because of the frenzy it brings with it.
Dubbed the ‘Greatest Shoal on Earth’ – the Sardine Run kicked off on May 30 and is the gift that has kept on giving ever since.
Acting HOD for the KZN Sharks Board, Greg Thompson, has kept the crowds updated regularly about nettings and the movement of the shoals.
During a sardine observation flight on Tuesday, 22 June he tracked the first sign of activity at Scottburgh Beach, scattered just behind the backline, and in the surf zone.
“Netting took place from first light where they netted approximately 14 times during the morning at Scottburgh main beach. There were also reports of some shark activity in amongst these pockets.As we continued south there were scattered pockets of sardines in the backline and surf zones at times, from Scottburgh through to Pumula. There were also a few pockets in the surf zone between Oslo and Shelly Beach,” Thompson said in a post on Facebook.
He also noted some pockets in the surf zone between Oslo and Shelly Beach. Further sardine activity was spotted in the Eastern Cape waters between Port Grosvenor and Luputhana.
“Here there were numerous pods of Bottlenose dolphins together with scattered gannet activity, all moving north. Most of this action was in a thin belt of discoloured water just behind the backline. Further south between the Mngazi Mouth and Rame Head there were also large concentrations of around 1500 Bottlenose and about 5000 Common dolphins further offshore,” he said.
There is a high possibility of great action between Warner Beach and Scottburgh on Wednesday (today).
Thompson said they will carry on monitoring the movement and remove or replace shark safety gear as required.
Please note, bathing is still banned from Port Edward to Isipingo as a precaution due to the sardine movement.
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