DIVE THE SARDINE RUN EXPEDITION

With our combined experience in excess of 30 years in the dive industry, we pride ourselves on our knowledge & experience, our personal service, the flexibility of our business to suit our clients and above all, the Sardine Run expedition is our passion and the absolute highlight of each year for us. We never know what each day, let alone each hour will bring on these days and this, coupled with the most incredible marine sightings, makes the Sardine Run ocean experience the single best event on the marine calendar.

Offshore Africa has been operating on the Wild Coast for many years and has extensive home-based knowledge. We are the ONLY locally based sardine run specialist operator based in Port St Johns, successfully running our sardine run trips from our base in Port St Johns since 2008. We are therefore ideally located to offer you a superb, fun filled trip, coupled with a highly experienced Sardine Run specialist team of skippers and dive guides that form part of our team.

We offer a boat based adventure for everyone, whether a diver or non-diver. All nature lovers, bird watchers, photography enthusiasts, dolphin and whale enthusiasts, snorkellers and scuba divers will thoroughly enjoy this incredible event of nature, which has been likened to the land based “Wildebeest migration of the Serengeti” and the marine equivalent of this has since been called “The Greatest Shoal on Earth”. Join us for an experience of a lifetime in the most beautiful and scenic place of Port St. Johns, Wild Coast, Transkei.

MEMBERS OF

Sardine Run Professional Association

PACKAGES & RATES

As we are locally based this allows us to offer a more flexible business. Our trip dates are as follows and can and will be extended into August based on action. You may choose whatever dates suit you within this time frame. A daily boat rate is also offered if you prefer to arrange your own accommodation.

11th June 2024 to 30 July 2024

Includes

Facilities

Excludes

A TYPICAL DAY ON OUR SARDINE RUN EXPEDITION

Daily outings last for approximately 6 – 8 hours depending on sea / weather conditions and the amount of activity about. With the action being fast and furious in conjunction with variable sea conditions, long boat rides and the whole day out at sea, outings can prove strenuous, therefore it is recommended that clients be relatively fit.

Departure time is usually 06h30 and return time depends on the action on the day. We try to stay out at sea for as long as possible, giving our clients a good chance to capitalze on whatever Nature has to offer.

Each morning at around 06h20, our boats will depart from our home-based jetty to collect clients by boat.We then head down the Umzimvubu river and into the surf zone at Port St. Johns. After a typical and highly exciting African surf launch, crew will start looking for all types of action, from whales, dolphins and ocean bird action to the little silver sardine / bait fish type action. Our skippers will be in touch with our “eye in the sky”pilot for an update on sightings.

Sardine / bait fish activity is usually sighted from large flocks of cape gannet sightings or by the more trusted large pods of common dolphin activity.

Our communication with our pilot and other spotter networks is vast and we are also in communication with Natal Sharks Board members that conduct regular flights further afield. Our local knowledge of “hiding” places also comes into play here and all avenues are explored to find action for you.

Once action is located, our experienced crew will determine whether this action is fast moving, necessitating snorkel viewing, or more static, whereby we can go straight onto scuba equipment for those wishing to use scuba gear. First hand action will be experienced by snorkellers, divers and boat based passengers, which ensures an exciting day out for everyone where no one is left out of all the excitement that nature brings with her.

WANT TO ADD TO THE ACTION? We can tailor-make your trip with us to include:

11th June 2024 to 30 July 2024

12 nights 10 days

Dinner + Bed + Breakfast
Accommodation at Port St. John’s River Lodge
Exclusive to Offshore Africa aerial support / spotting

10 nights 9 days

Dinner + Bed + Breakfast
Accommodation at Port St. John’s River Lodge
Exclusive to Offshore Africa aerial support / spotting

9 nights 8 days

Dinner + Bed + Breakfast
Accommodation at Port St. John’s River Lodge
Exclusive to Offshore Africa aerial support / spotting

8 nights 7 days

Dinner + Bed + Breakfast
Accommodation at Port St. John’s River Lodge
Exclusive to Offshore Africa aerial support / spotting

8 nights 6 days

Dinner + Bed + Breakfast
Accommodation at Port St. John’s River Lodge
Exclusive to Offshore Africa aerial support / spotting

7 nights 6 days

Dinner + Bed + Breakfast
Accommodation at Port St. John’s River Lodge
Exclusive to Offshore Africa aerial support / spotting

7 nights 5 days

Dinner + Bed + Breakfast
Accommodation at Port St. John’s River Lodge
Exclusive to Offshore Africa aerial support / spotting

6 nights 5 days

Dinner + Bed + Breakfast
Accommodation at Port St. John’s River Lodge
Exclusive to Offshore Africa aerial support / spotting

5 nights 4 days

Dinner + Bed + Breakfast
Accommodation at Port St. John’s River Lodge
Exclusive to Offshore Africa aerial support / spotting

4 nights 3 days

Dinner + Bed + Breakfast
Accommodation at Port St. John’s River Lodge
Exclusive to Offshore Africa aerial support / spotting

The important stuff…

  • Whilst we offer a shorter stay, clients must remember that we are dealing with Nature and it is winter season, which means that we do encounter cold fronts and some days could be shorter than others due to adverse weather/ocean conditions. We cannot offer any guarantee of any kind.
  • Transfers can be arranged from King Shaka international airport (Durban). 6- hour drive to Port St. Johns by road.
  • We highly recommend flying into Mthatha airport ex Johannesburg airport due to shorter drive travel time (1.5 hours) to Port St. Johns. Domestic airline is SA Airlink (airline code UTT).
  • Dive gear rental MUST be pre-booked as we carry limited stock.
  • Divers MUST produce their dive cards or log book prior to the 1st day of ocean launching.
  • Once a booking is confirmed, Offshore Africa will issue a booking invoice asking for a 30% non-refundable deposit. The booking is NOT secured until the deposit payment (in full) has been received.
  • Offshore Africa will not issue a refund due to weather/sea-sickness/days not done/a client making a decision to have a day off during their trip.
  • Port St. Johns River Lodge offer triple, double, twin bed, single & 3-4 people sharing options.
  • Due to our typical African surf launch & beaching of boat techniques, along with the possibility of uncomfortable and choppy sea conditions at times, we do not advise that those with limited mobility or frailty take part in boat activities of this nature.
  • The Sardine Run expedition is safe to enjoy, as a passenger, by most, however there is certain effort required by everyone on board.
  • As a snorkeller or diver, action can be incredibly fast paced and at times, chaotic as predator chases prey, meaning that a certain level of fitness is required to thoroughly enjoy each and every encounter and in water activity must be undertaken by those reasonably comfortable in the water.

Recreational scuba divers are to have a suggested minimum certification level of advanced diver and be able to sustain the level of fitness required on the Sardine Run. An Open Water diver qualification linked to sufficient experience in the ocean realm will be accepted upon discussion with us. It must be understood that the Sardine Run is a high risk and fast action event, resulting in this trip being rated as “strenuous” and it is often done in limited visibility diving. It is aimed at the adventure seeker. Sharks are often encountered under water and intense and fast moving action is the order of the day when sardines meet their predators.

It is imperative that divers are able to practice good buoyancy control, understand that all snorkelling that takes place has no reference to the bottom as our waters are deep and action is close to the surface. Lastly in-water users must be comfortable to experience sharks.

Divers will be asked to produce their certification cards as well as logbooks on arrival at Port St. Johns and prior to any ocean activities taking place.

Check Out Dives will be done on the first day and prior to any sightings taking place. This is for your own safety and comfort, to enable you to tweak equipment, familiarize yourself with local conditions ahead of all the action, and where there is little or no time to tweak gear.

  • Sun protection i.e. hat, sunglasses & sun block
  • Waterproof jacket – we supply PVC rain jacket tops (oilskins) on our vessels
  • Waterproof bag for anything you wish to bring onto the boat (space is limited so please choose something relatively small. If you are in a group, sharing a larger bag would be advisable)
  • There is space, although limited, in the dry hatch of our boats for land cameras
  • Camera, video equipment, binoculars (in a waterproof bag)

Divers are encouraged to bring their own wetsuit, mask and snorkel, fins, BCD and regulators, however we do have a range of equipment for rental @ R 90.00 per item, per day OR R 450.00 for a full day equipment rental.Equipment rental MUST BE pre-booked. It is advisable to bring your own SMB (surface marker buoy) to keep inside your BCD pocket, if you are bringing your own equipment.

Cylinders + weight belts to be supplied on arrival. We make use of 10 & 12ltr steel cylinders. We have an easy conversion from DIN to A-clamp with our cylinders. Trip staff will be on hand to carry equipment, fill cylinders etc.

With water temperatures ranging between 14 – 22 degrees C, wetsuit thickness of 5 – 7 mm with hood, booties and gloves are recommended for this time of year. Rinsing facilities will be available on site.

The Sardine Run expedition is not just about what happens underwater, it is also about the amazing events that happen on the surface too…so don’t be shy to bring your surface camera out on the boat with you. Our boats do have dry boxes for your camera or alternatively you can get yourself a small dry bag to keep it safe and close by.

  • The best weather and sea conditions on the Wild Coast happen to be during the winter periods. A little rain and overcast conditions can be expected on some days, though normally good weather prevails.
  • Sea conditions can range from glassy smooth to white capped seas…exciting and sometimes strenuous.
  • Our team ensures your safety first at all times and all decisions are based on this.
  • AIR temperature ranges between 14 – 25 ºC (58 – 76 ºF) and it is often colder at night.
  • WATER temperature ranges between 15 – 22º*C (59 – 71 ºF).
  • VISIBILITY ranges between 2 – 30m and as a safety precaution, in water activities are only conducted with conditions offering us visibility of 5m plus.

FAQ’s

The annual migration of sardine (Sardinops Sagax) from the Agulhas Bank of the Cape, past the Wild Coast and up to the southern portions of KwaZulu-Natal to spawn and then return, takes place during South Africa’s winter months and is a natural phenomenon known as the “Sardine Run”. It is rated to be the marine equivalent of the famous Wildebeest migration that takes place on the Masai Mara and Serengeti plains of central Africa and is just as thrilling and spectacular to witness. What is most special is that it is all about the amount of marine life in the same place and at the same time.

Between Coffee Bay, Port St Johns & Mbotyi, the continental shelf comes closest to land than in any other area along the eastern seaboard of S.A.This is very significant as all major ocean migrations do not go from point A – B in a straight line.They tend to follow depth contours, current movements and temperature changes.With the continental shelf so close to land, a funnelling effect is thus created, allowing us access to witness this incredible event.

The time forgotten coastal town of Port St. Johns, situated on the magical Pondoland Wild Coast has become one of the most popular destinations from which to experience the Sardine Run in all its glory.

Experiencing the Sardine Run from the Pondoland coast offers not only a naturally beautiful stretch of rugged coastline, but it is also steeped in cultural traditions allowing the Amapondo people to live by and protect their cultural values…a little piece of true Africa.

Driven by forces not yet completely understood, millions upon millions of sardines leave their cool Cape habitat and move east following the cold current, which is in turn driven up from the south by winter storms, normally during the June to August months.

The northwards movement of sardines is facilitated by a cold inshore northward – flowing counter-current originating on the Agulhas bank and pushed northwards by these annual winter cold fronts from the south.

This expands the suitable habitat favourable to sardines and can extend as high up the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) coastline as Durban/Umdloti area, after which the remaining sardines and their fry head out to deeper water and use the Agulhas main stream to return to cooler Cape waters. Sardines prefer a water temperature ranging between 14 C – 20 C therefore travel according to temperature changes and thermoclines, at times frustrating Sardine Run operators in judging where the action will pop up.

Huge shoals travel up the coastline feeding in nutrient rich waters with literally hundreds of sharks, dolphins, game fish and oceanic birds following the sardines / baitfish up the coast, constantly harassing and splintering pockets from the main shoals and feeding on these at their own leisure.

This is by far one of the greatest congregations of ocean predators known to man.

As a spectator of the Sardine Run, one will often hear the term ‘Bait ball’. Hundreds of common dolphin (Delphinus delphis & Delphinus Capensis) form super pods of sometimes 100 – 15 000 strong and set off in search of the sardines or other baitfish species.

The Common dolphin has developed a technique of isolating a shoal of sardines or baitfish and herding them by using streams of bubbles, sonar and incredible teamwork into tight pockets known as “bait balls”. They also have the amazing ability to time giving birth to their young just before the sardine run, thus allowing the adults to wean and teach hunting tactics to their calves during this incredibly food rich period of the year.

It is truly graceful poetry to observe these incredible animals at work and at play.

In turn, many shark species take advantage of this great feed, occasionally including the Great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias),Tiger shark ( Galeocerdo cuvier ), Zambezi / Bull shark ( Carcharhinus leucas), but most commonly seen are Copper/Bronze whaler sharks (Carcharhinus brachyurus) and Dusky sharks ( Carcharhinus obscurus ), which when attracted to the activity, arrive sometimes in their hundreds.

At times dolphin and shark can be seen seemingly working together in containing the “bait ball” taking turns in dashing through the food source with mouths open gulping down as many sardines as possible until not a single one is left.

Most “bait balls” are generally driven to the surface effectively blocking off one avenue of escape.

This in turn allows oceanic bird species to take full advantage of this incredible food source. Albatrosses (Diomedeidae), Terns (Sternidae) ,Cape Cormorant (Phalacrocorax capensis) and Skua’s to name a few. The most common of these is the Cape Gannet (Morus capensis), which is a highly skilled aerial predator and is one of the truly remarkable predators from the world of birds.

These birds have amazing eyesight and have the ability to reach depths of anything up to 20 meters by plunge diving from the air into the frenzy, where they animatedly swim around snapping and swallowing any sardine / baitfish within reach. They are true plunge divers and often, upon surfacing, comically fight and squabble over any sardine/ baitfish that has been visibly brought to the surface, offering some fantastic photographic opportunities.

Brydes whales (Balaenoptera edeni) are also regularly seen taking part in the feed by sounding and rocketing up from the depths with mouth open to engulf as much of a “bait ball” as possible. They can be seen on the outskirts or in the middle of the action and do not wait for any permission to start feeding, taking notice of nothing else in doing so. Many a snorkeller has a tale or two of an up close and personal encounter with a Bryde’s whale.

Another totally unrelated migration that takes place during the same period as the sardine movement is that of the Humpback Whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) traveling from Antarctic waters northwards to the warmer waters of Mozambique and Tanzania for calving and breeding purposes.

With the narrowing of the continental shelf along the Wild Coast, family pods have the opportunity to meet up with others of their kind. Spectacular breaches, tail lobbing, fin slapping and playful frolicking can be seen on most days throughout the winter periods of June to October months including their return.

A number of other whale species also make an appearance during the “run” as well, including Southern Right (Eubalaena australis), Brydes (Balaenoptera edeni) and Minke whales (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) to name a few. As the migration reaches KwaZulu-Natal predatory tactics tend to change with shallow waters as the continental shelf once more heads out to sea, going out a considerable distance. Here predators herd sardine pockets into strategic bays, which successfully compacts the fish and blocks off a number of escape avenues, showing an amazing level of intelligence and teamwork between species.

It is along the South Coast of KwaZulu-Natal where most commercial fishermen wait for the sardines to come close enough to be caught in nets.

Teams of between 20 and 40 fisherman drive up and down the coastline looking for accessible pockets. Once found, organized chaos takes over. Small fibreglass ski boats powered by outboard motors and carrying a net with a rope attached are held by the remaining beach crew. Skippers with a keen knowledge of surf launching place the boat in position and release the net whilst doing a large arc around the pocket of sardines. Once the net is in place the boat returns to the beach. The ground crew forms two teams that pull on the nets ropes forming a purse net with wings that is eventually brought to the beach.

Swimmers jump in and eventually herd the sardines into the purse after which they tie the purse off and the job is done till the purse gets to the beach where crating and loading needs to be done as quickly as possible. Hard and tiring work…but sardine “fever” gets the better of everyone.

If conditions are favourable occasionally “beachings” will occur where consistent predator harassment, surf conditions and weather conditions wash thousands upon thousands of sardines up onto the beach or sometimes the commercial fishermen will open a net for the public on the beach that has sardine “fever”.

This generally starts a human feeding frenzy!

The “fever” grips all local inhabitants and holiday makers causing everyone to run around the beach scooping up as many sardines as humanly possible in hats, shirts, skirts, baskets, buckets and all sorts of other containers, desperate to get their hands on a few silvery fish! This chaos can also offer some very interesting and comical photographic opportunities.

The fascination for diving in the famous Sardine Run ocean safari is shared by many avid photographers, divers and snorkellers, most come back religiously year after year to participate in the excitement and adventure.

Boat based viewing is also very popular among photographers and general nature lovers and allows one to get closer to the action and excitement.

This phenomenon is a truly incredible and exciting experience, whether you are capturing the action on camera or memory from above or below the water and this is a MUST DO for all nature & ocean lovers.

It is difficult to tell anyone when the best time is to come, but anytime between our anticipated dates will have something to offer. A lot of operators punt the last week of June and the first 2 weeks of July…whichever way one looks at it, no operator is able to offer any guarantees of good vs. quiet action days. The general consensus is anytime from the 10 June – 30 July (There are years however where it can start in late May / early June and it has gone on into mid- August).

The best advice that we can offer you is to experience the Sardine Run with an open mind. It is still one of the most amazing marine experiences one could ever partake in and offers endless photographic opportunities both topside and underwater. The bait ball is the cherry on top so to speak. One needs to remember that we are dealing with Nature and weather.

Out of all the operators offering the run annually over a time period spanning the past 15 years, very few people have walked away empty handed and without lasting memories. We look at it like going to a casino…put hard earned cash on the blackjack table and take a gamble!!!

One thing you will find is that we at Offshore Africa go the extra mile to make sure our clients get the best possible experiences on any given day.

  • We use 7.2m & 8m Feral RIB’s powered by 2 x 85hp Yamaha outboards.
  • Each vessel is licensed to carry 12 passengers including skipper and guide; however, for the Sardine Run ocean experience trips only, we have now introduced a limit of 6 people.  We have found that a) it is more comfortable on the boat for a smaller group size and b) way more manageable to have smaller groups in-water on any given action
  • Our boats are certified by SAMSA and carry all the required safety equipment including oxygen, trauma kits and communication devices.

Highly experienced Sardine Run skippers and dive guides are on board all of our vessels to ensure your safety and make your trip as informative as possible whilst on the Sardine Run.

The “Baitball” phenomena

We must admit that the “baitball” phenomenon has been over sold in the industry! One must also remember that most documentaries of the Sardine Run were made over a period of a few years and the film crews would do as we do today…go out, search, sit, and wait…day after day and finally taking advantage of whatever Mother Nature gives us.

Unfortunately a lot of people have an impression of getting on a boat and heading out to sea for a couple of kilometres, kitting up and jumping in immediately with a bait ball…back by lunchtime..everyday! If only!!!

There are occasions and sometimes over a few consecutive days where one does get this lucky opportunity and can experience everything one could ever dream of about the Sardine Run in one day (even the “Sardine Run” we knew growing up on this coastline played out in the same unpredictable way).

The general concept is to spend as much time out at sea as possible, which will in turn increase one’s chances of experiencing something special. It can be hard on the body as we sit out in most conditions and the diving can be very fast paced and energy sapping on some days.

The other side of it is the fact that operators could travel a couple of hundred kilometers in a day to find action, stay with it and wait for the right opportunity to get in with it (visibility can be temperamental if action is too close to shore etc).

Being our winter period, weather and sea conditions are constantly fluctuating and changing, which in turn the sardine and other bait fish species as well as the predators react to.

Things have also changed over the last 5-6 years and not just with the Sardine Run as we grew up knowing it. Worldwide the environment is changing and increasing pressure is being placed on nature and her resources. Climate change, habitat destruction, over fishing or over harvesting of natural resources to an ever increasing population…all have played a role in the so called sardine run of today. Despite the above, it still has a lot to offer and is still rated to be one of the top ocean experiences to be at the top of an ocean enthusiast bucket list.

A tough one! Basically we can encounter two types of action, each offering their own dive or photographic opportunities:

Fast paced or popcorn action

As mentioned previously, each of the prevalent bait fish species found travelling at the same time as Sardinops Sagax have their own defensive strategy to evade, repel and confuse predators.

Fast paced action is action on the move and generally indicates that the predators are feeding on bait such as Sauri and halfbeak, which have a tendency to move fast, scatter and just generally create chaos. Under these circumstances the only way to take advantage of this is to intercept, jump in, and watch the action pass by, jump back on the boat and do it all over again. It doesn’t often give one enough time to don Scuba and take advantage of it. There are times where this form of action can go on for days and can be very tiring. Nevertheless, each time one jumps in one has the opportunity to see or photograph something special.

Stationary action or “The Baitball”

This is what everyone looks for and hopes for. This scenario occurs when the common dolphin start feeding on bait fish that have a tendency to ball as a strategic defense.

These species can include Red-eye herring, anchovy, and sugar mackerel.

Once the dolphins have captured a ball and brought it to the surface, this then allows enough time to get SCUBA equipment on to dive with the action.

A stationary baitball can last anything from a few minutes up to a few hours regardless of the bait fish species being fed on. These “balls” can pop up on any day and at any time.

There are days when nothing at all is really happening…these kinds of days are Humpback Whale days and we try our best to keep clients entertained with whatever nature will offer us on this day. Should things be unusually quiet for some reason, there are a number of reef systems that can be explored on scuba, most offering shark sightings, and particularly ragged tooth shark. We also have a broken up but interesting wreck that ran aground in the 2nd world war, which lies in shallow water. All scuba diving depends on the visibility on that particular day.

Personal note to you from us…

The Sardine Run is one of the hardest products in the dive industry to market and to work with. The main reason being is that every outing is dependent on what nature offers us on that particular day. BUT…it is not just about sardines and baitballs. It has been and is still rated to be the marine equivalent of the famous Wildebeest migration that takes place on the Masai Mara and Serengeti plains of central Africa and is just as thrilling and spectacular to witness whether above surface or underwater. Just the amount of oceanic predators and bird life make this an enthralling experience and offers phenomenal photographic opportunities both above and below the water.

Something that few people realize or read about regarding the Sardine Run is the fact that aside from sardine (Sardinops Sagax), there are at least another 5 or 6 species of bait fish doing their own mini or not so mini migrations at the same time (Anchovies, sugar mackerel, red eye herring, East coast herring, Sauri & a few more). Each of these species attracts predators in all shapes and sizes and is preyed upon at every given opportunity. Some of the these species have a tendency to “ball” as a defensive strategy, as sardine does, while others just scatter and create chaos.

A few things are guaranteed on every outing: – huge pods of dolphin sometimes numbering in their thousands, numerous species of sharks (if visibility allows) are seen individually or in large packs on most “jump-ins”. A huge variety of oceanic bird life including the well-known Cape Gannet, which arrives in their thousands, 5 species of Albatross, Petrels, Cormorants, Terns and of course, through it all, we have the annual Humpback Whale migration offering loads of breaching and surface displays due to the topography of our coastline.

The attraction of it all is the fact that one just never knows what one will come across or experience on any given day.