Durban is having a handsome sardine season with clear water – better than previous years and post-flood runs – and tomorrow is expected to be a good day for netting.
Speaking ahead of yesterday’s launch of the Sardine Exhibition on Durban’s beachfront promenade of images taken by local photographers during previous sardine runs, Oceanographic Research Institute scientist Ryan Daly spoke of this year’s sardine run being unique.
“South of Port St John’s, they were hanging around and not migrating north. They were waiting for cooler water to go up the coast. They packed in at the shore and the sharks kept coming,” said Daly who is not only a shark expert, but is passionate about fish and has a special interest in the sardine migration and all that comes with this incredible phenomenal event.
“It was unusual because there should have been a lot of dolphins and gannets feeding on them too, but I don’t know why they were inshore.”
Daly, who addressed South African Association for Marine Biological Research (Saambr) staff and volunteers before they headed off to see the exhibition, explained that the sardine run presented different dynamics off Durban to the Wild Coast.
He said the gannets, which nest on Bird Island off Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) followed the shoals but only until Waterfall Bluff, between Port Edward and Port St John’s.
Humpback whales, though not sardine feeders, have been passing Durban at the same time as the sardine run.
Daly is one of the photographers whose work is on display.
The Independent on Saturday