Sardine Run: 23 areas with sardine indicators in the Eastern Cape

Staff Reporter|Published

The KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board observed 23 areas in the Eastern Cape that indicated sardine activity. | Supplied

Durban – The KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board observed 23 areas in the Eastern Cape that indicated sardine activity.

The board conducted another observation flight into the Eastern Cape waters to assess the movement of the sardine shoals thus far on Tuesday.

The flight departed from Virginia Airport and turned at Hole in the Wall.

KZN Sharks Board acting head of operations Greg Thompson said the water was very discoloured for most of the coastline, especially in KZN, due to the latest flooding.

“However, the visibility improved as we got into the Eastern Cape and from the Msikaba area the activity started to pick up, which was good to see,” Thompson said.

“The most favourable water visibility on this flight was only approximately 3-4m and this was in the entire area between Hole in the Wall and Umgazana.”

Thompson said the indicators were all positive that the sardines were making their way up from the Eastern Cape towards KZN. Especially, when you take the increase in shark activity at Grosvenor into consideration. There is also a good possibility that we may have missed activity further north towards KZN due to poor visibility.

“However, there have been many occasions in the past when predictions and opinions have been totally incorrect. These fish can move through in the deep or in the discoloured water that we are experiencing at the moment, out of sight of most of the predators and arrive in KZN without warning. Then there is always the possibility that they continue moving north on the deeper line and we don’t get to see them at all,” Thompson said.

The following observations were made as we moved through to Hole in the Wall. (These numbers are approximate figures):

Msikaba

  • 20x bottlenose moving north just behind the backline.
  • 200x common dolphin charging north 1km offshore.
  • 2x humpback whales moving north 1km offshore.

Grosvenor

  • 15-20 x sharks jumping in the muddy water 150m behind the backline with 30 gannets searching.

“This is a definite indication that there are sardines in that area,” Thompson said.

Goss Point

  • 7x small shoals of sardines close to the backline.

Luphuthana

  • 15-20 common dolphins charging north 1km offshore.

Waterfall Bluff

  • Three pods of about 500 common dolphin feeding in the area with yellowfin tuna feeding on bait balls and approximately 200 gannets diving. Very active from the backline to about 2km offshore.

Mbotyi

  • 6x shoals of sardines on backline with 80 -100 bottlenose moving north.
  • 1 000 x common dolphin feeding scattered 2km offshore.

Manteku

  • 1x big shoal of sardines on the backline with terns feeding in this area.

Black Sands

  • 1 000x common dolphin moving north 2km offshore.

Mntafufu

  • 60x bottlenose moving north 1km offshore and +-50 gannets diving and rafting.

Poenskop

  • 500x common dolphin moving north 2km offshore.

Umngazi

  • 200x bottlenose dolphin moving north 1km offshore.

Umngazana

  • 60x scattered dolphin activity, 1km offshore.

Brazen Head

  • Thin small shoals, with terns, feeding but these pockets looked more than like red-eyes.

The Kraal

  • 200x scattered bottlenose feeding and 50x gannets sitting on the water. Approximately 20 x sardine shoals along the backline.

Mpande

  • Numerous shoals of sardines moving north along the backline. 200x bottlenose dolphin moving north with +- 50 terns dipping/feeding on these shoals.
  • Another 50x bottlenose dolphin feeding on the backline just south of the river.

Hluleka

  • Numerous shoals of sardines on backline.
  • 2x pods of 70-80 bottlenose dolphins moving north on the backline.
  • Bait balls of sardine on the backline, with terns dipping/feeding.

Mtakatye

  • 100x bottlenose dolphin moving north on backline.

Presley Bay

  • 5x shoals of sardines on the backline, with sharks and 50 x bottlenose dolphins moving north. There were +-50 gannets diving and sitting in this area.

Mdumbi

  • 50x bottlenose dolphin moving north on backline and about 20 gannets searching.

Mthatha

  • 40x bottlenose moving north 1km offshore.

Maphuzi

  • 80 bottlenose dolphins moving north in the backline. Three thin shoals of probably red-eyes spraying.

Coffee Bay

  • 1x large shoal of sardines in the backline.

Hole in the Wall

  • 3x shoals of sardines in the backline, with 150 x bottlenose dolphins moving north.

Thompson added that the next flight to East London was scheduled for June 2, but it was dependent on weather conditions.

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