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is out on YouTube and on their social media platform.

Offshore Africa is proud to be associated with Behind the Mask and as a sponsor of 1 of BTM dive experiences as part of their signature trips for 2025.

We have already allocated the dates for the lucky winner of the Sardine run 2025 expedition and look forward to meeting him or her very soon.

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

Be sure to watch the ALIVE video followed by the video below to stand a chance of winning and joining us next season.

https://behind-the-mask.com/

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What a special time for us at Offshore Africa featuring in not 1 but 2 amazing media articles this month.  We are so blown away!!!

We feature in the Sunday Times travel magazine released 12th September 2021.  The magazine is a feature within the Sunday Times newspaper.

Special thanks to the incredibly brave Thembalethu Zulu from Sunday Times travel magazine for joining Offshore Africa for the sardine run 2021 season. https://offshoreportstjohns.com/sardine-run/

Her story is inspiring and written from the heart and is just so amazing!!!

Thanks again to ECPTA (Eastern Cape Parks & Tourism agency) for putting the adventure together with us https://visiteasterncape.co.za/.

We love what we do and we love introducing people to our world.  Making a difference, no matter how large or small, is always at the forefront of our hearts and minds and our annual sardine run is such a passion for us in being able to do all of this and more…..

Special thanks, as always, to our incredible team that work with us each season, our eye in the sky, our in-water guides, our spotters and our base crew.  Simply amazing!!

Once again, special thanks to the entire team at Port St Johns River Lodge for making it all so easy and wonderful for our clients and our crew on a daily basis https://portstjohnsriverlodge.co.za/

You all rock!!

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Flexible packages and time frames

https://offshoreportstjohns.com/2019-sardine-run-rates/

Book your space here…….

https://offshoreportstjohns.com/contact/

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The annual Sardine Run off the Wild Coast of South Africa is like nothing on earth!

Whales, dolphins, sharks, seals, gannets…are just a few of the usual suspects that pitch up for the easy pickings. And the sardines just keep coming. Being herded and feasted upon mercilessly.

Rob and Debbie, the team who run Offshore Africa, https://offshoreportstjohns.com have been taking eager guests out to see the action right up close, for over a decade. They are the only local operators in Port St. Johns, the gateway to the sardine run and they operate from the nicest place. Right on the river. Boats moored out front ready to go!

On the most recent Sardine Run, in 2017, Rob and team got a few more camera angles for us to enjoy. And put together this cool and quick “Sardine Run day out” compilation.

The Sardine Run Experience with Rob and Debbie and the Offshore Africa Port St. Johns team…

• flexible accommodation & time frame options
• safe boats and highly experienced skippers and crew
• local knowledge
• perfectly maintained equipment
• beautiful location
• a highly personal & flexible offering
• A combined experience in the industry in excess of 30 years

And to really top it all off, you are in Port St. Johns. One of the most picturesque and interesting little towns in all of Africa. It’s history is as colourful as the surroundings. Set at the mouth of the mighty Umzimvubu River, at the base of a huge gorge, this town is full of stories!

There are many things to do in between outings to sea. Hikes and tours. Amazing views from up at the airstrip and all over. Coastal drives. Nature reserves. River cruises.

The team at Offshore Africa can help you arrange any of these fun things to do in and around Port St. Johns. And anything else you might need on your trips out to sea and back with them.

Trips are tailor made to suit you, your time and your budget.

You can learn all about the Sardine Run with Offshore Africa, by clicking here. This is a nicely detailed document that should answer all your questions.

Bookings have been opened up for the 2018 Sardine Run, so get in touch!

Click on over to our Contact page here.

Catch up with us on Facebook by clicking here.

We are on YouTube here.

Post prepped by…

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When the excited shouts of a Bryde’s Whale sighting rings in your ears, suddenly everyone on the boat is on high alert.

“Bryde’s whale? – there has to be sardines in the vicinity”.  “There has to be a decent amount of food in the area”

And this is exactly the fact about these amazing whales that in order to maintain their diet, these marine mammals are often found in areas that have abundant supplies of fish and other prey.

This year there were many, many sightings of Bryde’s Whales during sardine run and so many of these were a last minute scramble to get out of the way as it would simply appear, in stealth mode fashion, before your very eyes and leave you wondering how something so large can just suddenly pop into focus like that and scoop so much food into it’s mouth and wham, thanks for that, sardine shoal split and chaos in the water with the excitement of the encounter.

They capture their food by looking for large swarms or gatherings of potential prey and then swim through the swarm and engulf whatever food is available. And you had better make sure that you are out of the way. Cheekily, these whales may be spotted hunting and stealing prey that other marine animals have worked hard to herd together and obtain. When searching for food the Bryde’s whale can dive underwater for up to 20 minutes before re-surfacing for air.

Unlike other species of baleen whales, Bryde’s whales tends to move in irregular patterns both surfacing and changing direction for no particular reason, making their patterns unpredictable and unusual.

Further interesting facts about the Bryde’s whale is that the name comes from Johan Bryde, who helped set up the first modern whaling station in South Africa.  They can be found living in various tropical/subtropical waters throughout the world and can be seen swimming in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans.

Their gestation period is approximately 11-12 months.  After birth the female will nurse her calf for 6 – 12 months or until the newborn is able to hunt and survive on it’s without the need of additional support from its mother.

Sexual maturity for these whales is between 7 – 14 years at which point they reach their matured size and may begin mating and bearing offspring of their own.

Bryde’s whales may give birth once every 2 – 4 years while they remain fertile.

Sadly there is not enough data about the lifespan of the Bryde’s whale.

More at …..http://divingwithsharks.co.za

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The Ragged tooth sharks of Port St John’s congregate during our winter months’.

Upon descent on the dive site, as we approach closer to the bottom they appear in large numbers and very curious indeed.

Large males, even larger females and juveniles are all over the place and totally oblivious to our presence and they simply don’t care either.

Females have a lot of mating scars and we are of the opinion that this is a mating area during the winter months and why not?  Compared to their counterparts up in KwaZulu-Natal, who contend with far greater diver activity, boat activity and industrial pollution, it would seem the logical choice to spend time along the Wild Coast where there is way more peace and tranquility and of course, no industrial pollution in our waters.

When one spends time with these magestic and relaxed sharks, one has to think about what the human race is doing as a negative for shark populations with the demand for bather protection along the KwaZulu-Natal coastline by non education and a no care attitude adopted by many an ocean user.

Once educated, people will realize the vital role that sharks have to play within our oceans in keeping the delicate balance and it is this that we all need to share amongst each other to ensure conservation and preservation of all shark species within our oceans globally.

https://wordpress.com/read/feeds/70084651/posts/1560295064

More at http://divingwithsharks.co.za

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Sardine Run update day 38.

Sardine Run 2017 has been nothing short of exhilarating and adrenaline filled for us here at Offshore Africa and it is not over yet by any means!!!!!

Here is a short video clip of what is still going on here with us at Offshore Africa in Port St John’s.

Mother Nature has graced us with absolutely incredible sightings this year and we will start to post some of these for you.

We have spent time with many Brydes Whales, whether sneaking in or making themselves visible to start with on the action.

Orca’s teaching a young calf hunting tactics.

Bull sharks in on the action.

Very brave and determined Dusky sharks in no way fazed about our presence in the water.

Spectacular Humpback whales and their breaching.

Sailfish in on the action.

Super pods of common dolphin, a sight to behold.

Scuba diving with Ragged tooth sharks too many to count

The list just goes on and on………………….and of course the famous silver fish known as Sardines, just to top it all off.

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We would like to welcome Nigel aka “Tzulu” Dowsett to the Offshore Africa sardine run team this year as our sardine run gyro copter pilot.

We are absolutely positive that he will fit right in with all of us that have been a team for a long time now.

“Tzulu” will be doing all our aerial spotting for us this year and comes to our team with a wealth of knowledge and experience.

More about him :-

• Tzulu lives off the grid on top of a mountain in the Overberg
• Owner of The Wild Edge bush pilot retreat / Skycam aerial photography
• A grade light sport aviation instructor with 30 years and 5000 hours flying experience on ultralights, fixed wing & rotary wing aircraft
• Flew 9 years sardine run for IMAX, NAT GEO BBC WORLD
• KZN anti poaching
• Whale shark / turtle surveys
• Project Rhino, game counts
• Land Rover / Toyota driver training
• Survival instructor
• Co pilot / medic / rescue swimmer for Nokia / Hunters Air Sea Rescue
• Ski boat surf training instructor
• NSRI coxswain
• Great Barrier Reef DiveMaster / Rescue medic
• Semi submersible coxswain
• 8 years KZN Sharks Board

“Tzulu” has massive experience in marine spotting along our coastline and as can be seen from his “short” bio, you will be safe in the air with him too.

Our sardine run gyro copter team will spend a lot of time in the air for us this year and will prove invaluable in spotting on all levels.

Check out his Youtube video under the heading “The Wild Edge gyro copter rush”.

Offshore Africa will also be offering afternoon gyro copter flights time & weather permitting and once our boats are back at base.

Come and join us for an amazing time, whether air, land or sea.

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Air boat launch…………………..

Offshore Africa is super proud to launch “The Beast” V8 air boat, which is only the 2nd air boat in South Africa to offer river tours.

The air boat compliments Offshore Africa’s already comprehensive fleet existing of Offshore 1 dive boat and Bobalong 30 seater river cruise barge.

The air boat is fast and maneuverable and can get into and through shallow water, to places never before navigated.

The speed of the air boat makes for an exciting river trip like none other.

It is an adrenalin rush coupled with a new way to see the river and it sure will bring a change of hairstyle too!!

Further information to follow soon…………………………..so watch this space.

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