Sharks galore, missing sardine nets, and of course, sardines added to all the hype and excitement when the anticipated ‘Greatest Shoal on Earth’ arrived last Saturday.
The Sardine Run 2025 started with a bang, with what appeared to be more sharks than sardines, being netted off Port Edward. Some reports indicated that more than 50 sharks were trapped in the nets but released over the weekend.
Rough sea posed as a challenge for brave seine netters who risked their nets and gear to get their hands on the silver fish. Those lucky enough to net sold their crates at R700 each.
At Port Edward, a net broke loose, swept out to sea, and became entangled on rocks. The pounding surf made it terribly difficult for the seamen to retrieve it.
Another sardine net was lost at Pumula.
The first wave of the Sardine Run 2025 has been described as a wild ride for seine netters, who rise before dawn to get their haul in for the day.
Interestingly, a pattern seems to have emerged with the fish only showing face roughly every 40km or so.
With this in mind, Sunday morning saw sards being netted at the Sandspit in Port Shepstone. Later that day, they popped out at Pumula.
Boats and seine netters headed to Pennington and Rocky Bay at the crack of dawn on Monday this week.
It was an all-around good day for the fisherfolk. For some, it ended with the remainder of the sardines being sold by the packet to passers-by.
All the action played out again at Rocky Bay and then in Amanzimtoti on Tuesday and Wednesday, with a crate of sards being sold at R200 each.
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