is no stranger to all South Africans and in particular, to those of us that spend so much time in and under our oceans.

Zandi joined us on her very first Sardine Run experience a few seasons back and keeps coming back for more as that is what the sardine run does……it draws you back time and time again, it is an addictive time of the year, filled with such special ocean encounters and the wonder of what Mother Nature will show us each hour within a day and within each season. As Rob once said “I am too scared to miss out on something that I may never see again in my lifetime, it keeps me coming back and back again”

https://offshoreportstjohns.com/sardine-run/

Zandi is the most amazing person and a pure delight to spend time with on the boat.  Her sheer love of being in the ocean and on the ocean is so infectious. In fact we all joked that she should join the team as an in-water guide each sardine run expedition season. Well we were not really joking but the problem now is that Zandi is all over the world, promoting ocean conservation and her love of the ocean to children across the globe. All of us at Offshore Africa are so deeply proud of Zandi The Black Mermaid and all her achievements to date in promoting our oceans far and wide and in more focus, to children in our communities, of course with children being the future of our world.

With the seasons that Zandi has spent with us, https://www.waterbear.com/ decided to make a short documentary about the life and ocean love of The Black Mermaid aka Zandi Ndhlovu https://www.waterbear.com/watch/the-black-mermaid

Zandi released a Children’s book aptly named “Zandi’s song” which just recently won the 2024 SA Book Awards in the Childrens’ category. This is a must in all school libraries and we urge everyone to get their copy.

This write up is a tribute to our dear friend Zandi Ndhlovu and we urge everyone to take a look at https://www.blackmermaid.co.za/home-1 and the work that is being done here by Zandi.

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Check out the new book release  thimios.com/books by Australian author, diver and photographer Todd Thimios.

As you all know, our annual sardine run season is our absolute favourite time of the year with so much life about in our oceans, whether topside or underwater. Every day is exciting not knowing what is going to show up and when……

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Sardine run with Offshore Africa

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Birds eye view

of the formation of a bait ball during our annual sardine run season Port St Johns, Eastern Cape, South Africa.

Have you ever wondered what this crazy frenzy must look like from the air?

Here is a larger birds eye view of a bait ball in formation during our annual sardine run in Port St Johns. We hope you enjoy this short video clip, taken from our eye in the sky spotter pilot Brad.

Brad has this incredible ability to fly his aircraft, take a video or still image, send it to us throughout the day and have heaps of fun in the air, giggling at boats scuttling this way and that way!!

And as he says……….positioning and timing are key!!! – very true and wise words.

If you have experienced the sardine run in Port St Johns with us https://offshoreportstjohns.com/sardine-run/ you will know that not only is positioning and timing important, its the ability to read Nature, the birds, many animals that form part of the sardine run. We get what we call “popcorn”, when things pop up all over the place with no real direction and with incredible speed and then we get the stationary action, where things slow down to a pace that many can manage to keep up with.  This is not what the sardines have in mind, they’re smart and they like to find gaps and loopholes when they can. And then we get those days, those quiet days when we get to dive on one of our reef systems because all of a sardine…………….the action has gone dead. Or, all of a sardine, it happens out of nowhere

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEN4uj6cGl8

Our eye in the sky is an integral part of our operations, he covers an aerial distance in a short space of time that we cannot remotely hope to achieve in that time frame.

Our sardine run 2021 season is fast approaching and we sincerely hope to be out there again, witnessing this amazing action and sharing many stories along the way.

We SO look forward to meeting you or seeing you again.  Come and join us https://offshoreportstjohns.com/contact-us/

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Thank you to our client Philipp Oppermann for sharing these stunning images captured from sardine run 2018.

A day in the life of our winter months and the annual South African sardine run.

Come and join us during our winter months and experience the great sardine migration .

Contact us https://offshoreportstjohns.com/contact/ and join us for an experience of a lifetime

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is a slide show with just a few of our incredible images of jumping and playful dolphins along our coastline the Wild Coast.

We have taken huge delight in filming the antics of these incredibly special and playful dolphins on big surf days as well as during their hunting moments in the sardine run months June – August each year.

If you are keen to come and experience what our oceans along the Wild Coast have to offer, get in touch with us here https://offshoreportstjohns.com/contact/

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Sardine run 2018 stories in images – part 4

Book your seat on the boat for 2019 https://offshoreportstjohns.com/contact/

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Sardine run stories in images

Images really do tell a story of their own.  Enjoy part 3 of our sardine run 2018 stories in images……..

Come and join us and create your own image library of stories during the most incredible months of the year along our coastline.

https://offshoreportstjohns.com/contact/

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2018 sardine run stories in images is simply an image story of our phenomenal 2018 season in all aspects.

There is no story required here………simply sit back and enjoy our series of sardine run 2018 in images.

Join us for an experience of a lifetime in 2019 sardine run https://offshoreportstjohns.com/2019-sardine-run-rates/

Book with us https://offshoreportstjohns.com/contact/ for your 2019 sardine run ocean safari experience

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The coastline of the Wild Coast and Port St John’s is one of dramatic scenery and a sight like none other along this magical and wild coastline.

As the mighty Umzimvubu River makes its way seawards, the views of Mt. Sullivan to the north, also known as the north gate and Mt. Thesiger to the south, also known as the south gate, are to be truly appreciated by boat and by air.

The airstrip on Mt. Thesiger is a major tourist attraction in Port St John’s as it affords one the opportunity of seeing this major river system alongside two mountains in its’ full glory. Many a sundowner drink has been had here as the sun dips down on the beauty of this area, viewed from above town.

The town of Port St John’s nestled alongside the river gives one a true sense of where you are in this picturesque part of the Wild Coast, Eastern Cape.

The town of Port St John’s is known as the gateway to the sardine run https://offshoreportstjohns.com/the-sardine-run-psj/ and Offshore Africa, being the only operator with a permanent base here, calls Port St John’s the home of the sardine run for many reasons.

Contact us https://offshoreportstjohns.com/contact/ to see this amazing town and its dramatic scenery for yourself.

Photo credits to Rob Nettleton from Offshore Africa.

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