Expectations high for bumper Sardine Run
Operations manager at the KZN Sharks Board, Greg Thompson, said it is fairly easy to monitor large quantities of sardines with associated predators in pursuit,
The countdown to the greatest ocean spectacle along the South Coast, the Sardine Run, has begun.
Operations manager at the KZN Sharks Board, Greg Thompson, said the Sardine Run monitoring would start in May.
Thompson said it is 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, added Thompson, they also rely on the information and sightings they receive from residents, fishermen, and dive charters in the Eastern Cape.
“Our first few flights are normally to East London to try and 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. Let’s hope we are in for another bumper year of sardine fever,” said Thompson.
The Sardine Run is an annual phenomenon believed to be the planet’s biggest biomass migration where billions of the silver fish move northwards towards warmer waters, swimming past the South Coast from May.
Ugu South Coast Tourism (USCT) CEO, Phelisa Mangcu, said the Sardine Run is a highlight on the South Coast’s tourism calendar.
She said they are looking forward to welcoming visitors who can finally experience the natural display after two years in lockdown and the recent devastating floods.
“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,” said Mangcu.
Meanwhile, Dr Ryan Daly of the Oceanographic Research Institute and the South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity said although the recent floods in the province caused a surge in water and debris into the Indian Ocean, the impact on the ocean has largely passed, and it shouldn’t 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 will have to wait and see,” said Daly.
