The Great Sardine Run of South Africa

A Marine Wildlife Festival – The Sardine Run Expedition is a unique wildlife encounter, following the annual Sardine migration along South Africa’s beautifully rugged coastline. Typically, the annual migration of the Sardines from their beginnings in the Southern Cape to being sighted offshore on South Africa’s Wild Coast starts in June each year. As the shoals of Sardines move northward up the coast, the size of the Sardines shoals tend to grow, ultimately forming the ‘"Greatest Shoal on Earth".
This amazing journey attracts a multitude of predators that track and follow the Sardines migration, exploiting this localized and abundant food source. It is hard to describe the excitement of the Dolphins, Tuna, numerous bird species, Whales, Fur Seals and Sharks as they ‘hunt’ the Sardines. You can hear the excited squeals of the thousands of Common and Bottlenose Dolphins as they travel in large breaching waves to pursue their prey, long before you see them. Contributing to the noise and surface action are the birds; Cape Gannets, Shearwaters, and Cormorants, diving into the shoals of Sardines from a great height. Humpback Southern Right and Brydes Whales can also be seen in pursuit of this moving feast.

Below the surface the action continues with the Sharks (Copper, Dusky, and Bronze Whalers) feasting on the Sardines and other marine life. The Dolphins and Sharks look for opportunities to herd the Sardines into balls, this is the Sardines natural reaction to feeling threatened as they perceive there to be safety in numbers. These ‘bait balls’ vary in size and frequency, with the action on some of the larger ones lasting hours.

After several weeks of migrating northwards, the sardines swim out to sea and are carried along the inner edge of the Agulhas current back to the southern Cape to spawn.

We spot the shoals of sardines by the telltale signs of Dolphins splashing at the surface or by flocks of birds diving into the water. From Wavecrest, we're also able to use the elevated hills to look for miles to see the activity. Then we position the boat in front of the action so that by the time we've entered the water the marine activity has drifted into our position. From our experience, we recommend the majority of our time in the water is spent on snorkel as this provides speed and flexibility to enter and exit the water easily and not miss out on the fast-moving action. If we do encounter activity that is of sufficient size, we will enter the water on scuba.

As most of your in-water activity can be conducted with ease on snorkel this makes the Sardine Run an accessible and exciting marine expedition for non-divers and divers alike.

We use inflatable boats that are nibble but robust enough to tackle the typical surf launches we have because of the structure of our coastlines. The boats are fitted with storage for cameras, although we recommend only camera equipment with a waterproof housing or water-resistant cover due to the open nature of the boat.

The Agulhas House Sardine run will be run from Wavecrest in the Eastern Cape. This hidden gem in the heart of the Eastern Cape providing us unrivalled access to the local marine action, a short stroll from the lodge to the seashore means easy access to the boat to start your day’s adventure. As we're based away from the main hubs for the Sardine Run (Port St John’s) we are the only boats in the area following the Sardines. This gives you as much time as possible on all the action rather than share it with other boats.

Wavecrest has a bar area, TV room, snooker room, SPA, tennis and squash court, swimming pool and many other activities where you can unwind after your day at sea, with its deck looking straight down the bay to the ocean. All rooms are en-suite with family room options available. This lodge is rural and therefore cell phone signal is intermittent, but the lodge has WiFi. However, the rustic nature of the lodge and its location add to the feeling of connection to nature and the sea, making it an ideal place to experience the Sardine run from – far from the crowds.

SARDINE RUN – 8 Day Itinerary
Day 1 – Transfer or meet at Wavecrest on a full board basis. Newly renovated en-suite double/twin and triple rooms are available. We suggest flying to East London Airport (2-hour transfer time). As Wavecrest has a private airstrip, you can upgrade to a private flight from East London to Wavecrest (25 mins).

Day 2 to 7 – After a light breakfast we launch the boat and spend the day at sea looking for the sardine run “action”. Typically, we will be at sea from around 8.30 am till 3 pm daily depending on the sea conditions and the activity seen. With a surf launch, long boat rides and the amount of time spent at sea we suggest that the clients ensure their fitness to participate (an average level of fitness is sufficient). Packed lunches and hot and cold drinks will be served on board. When the sardines are spotted, depending on whether they are fast moving or not, we will decide to either snorkel or scuba dive. We spend much more time on snorkel than scuba. We do have some nice dive sites as well for the quiet days. Lunch is served when we get home. Then you have some time to relax before a full dinner will be served in the evenings with the menu changing daily.

Day 8 – After breakfast you will be ready to carry on your South African adventure or head home. Tours can be added to Aliwal Shoal, Protea Banks, Cape Town and South Africa’s amazing Big 5 game parks.

Package Inclusions:

• 7 nights en-suite accommodation
• Dinner/Breakfast and a packed lunch
• Cylinder, air fills, and weights (belts)
• Experienced skipper and guide
• 6 days unlimited Sardine Run
• Transfers

Package Exclusions:

• Flights - international and domestic
• Visas
• Travel and diving insurance
• Dive gear
• Tips
• Drinks

Videos help tell the story:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTcbbemLBXs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zOarcL1BSc
Google, "The Great Sardine Run of South Africa", or "The Greatest Shoal on Earth".

This trip has been on my list of grand adventures for many years, so I'm going, and you're welcome to join me. I will share a boat with my safari travel agent and his guests - it may be a total of 8 adventure seekers. But, you should be serious about this expedition, it's not for the faint of heart, and the water will be cold (think early 70's), and there are no guarantees for what may be seen, but by the same token, what is possible, is far greater than any weeklong dive trip to ABC or XYZ.

##### ** AIRFARE SOLD SEPARATELY **

Price is per person and based on double occupancy and items specified. Space is subject to availability, price subject to change without notice and not guaranteed until deposit is received. Cost for airfare cannot be guaranteed until paid and ticketed. Some restrictions may apply. * Credit card or any payments made through the PayPal invoice will be charged an additional 3.5% (5% international payers). This fee covers the cost of the PayPal fee. Venmo, Zelle, Send Money to Friends and Family, and checks are always welcome.

If interested, please contact Andy Skuntz, at Colorado Dive + Travel Adventures, email to askuntz@yahoo.com, or call at 719-322-6941. This exciting trip will fill up fast.

Trip flyer, terms and conditions, and a trip application will be provided. Once the application is complete, please return to Andy via fax or email, then an invoice for the designated deposit will be provided.