The seine netters have started catching the silver fish as the annual Sardine Run arrives along the coast of KZN.
If you’re new to the Sardine Run and want to find out more about this winter phenomenon, then you’re in the right place! Here are 10 fast facts about the Sardine Run, also known as The Greatest Shoal on Earth.
1. The Sardine Run happens once a year in the winter months when billions of sardines – also known as pilchards – swim northwards past the Eastern Cape and along the KZN South Coast.
2. The Sardine Run is considered the planet’s biggest biomass migration. Alongside the silver fish, there are a host of marine predators attracted to the shoals, such as sharks, dolphins, whales and sea birds.
3. The earliest reference to the Sardine run was in The Natal Mercury which reported “… on Tuesday the 2nd August 1853, a shoal of mackerel chased by sharks and other large fish, took refuge close to shore. This stranding of fish has not been remembered to have occurred beforehand.”
4. ‘Sardine fever’ is a term often associated with the Sardine Run whereby people from all walks of life rush into the surf, catching the fish with everything from nets and buckets through to shirts and skirts.
5. The KZN Sharks Board closely monitors the Sardine Run activity to remove shark nets when the increased activity occurs. This prevents the capture and unnecessary death of hundreds of endangered shark species that feast on the sardines.
6. Folklore on the South Coast states that, once the aloes start to bloom, it’s two weeks until the arrival of the Sardine Run. The aloes are currently in full bloom in the region, which is good news for sardine activity!
7. The Sardine Run is largely dependent on the water temperatures with cooler waters required to attract the shoals. The past two years have seen large shoals heading north, and there are high hopes that 2022 will be another spectacular event.
8. The Sardine Run is associated with increased whale activity, with Bryde’s whales often feeding on the shoals of sardines. However, these cooler months also coincide with the annual migration of humpback whales along the coastline as they travel north to calving areas.
9. Predatory marine life will often chase the sardines, rounding them up into edible pockets of fish that are known as ‘bait balls’.
10. The Sardine Run is fast becoming a local and international tourism attraction. This natural phenomenon has features in various television documentaries, including BBC’s Blue Planet series. There are several opportunities to view the Sardine Run through boat charters, dive charters or from the air. However, with some luck, this spectacle can be witnessed from the shore!
Sources: Oceans Africa | The KZN Sharks Board
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