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It's not the time to be surfing!
Its been dubbed "The Greatest Shoal on Earth" and we feel that it is The Serengeti of the Sea! Every year around June, July and August billons of Sardines "run" or migrate up the East Coast of South Africa between Port Elizabeth and Durban.
It is the biggest migration of any fish species, and the 2nd biggest of any animal migration in the world. This phenomenon can be experienced by diver and non-diver alike NO experience needed! This is a photographers dream and every budding photographer, underwater or not, should experience it at least once.
Common Dolphins are plentiful on the sardine run and almost all day the boat will be surrounded by them as they move up and down the coast feasting. These pods can easily reach 5000 strong and being in the water snorkelling with them is mind blowing. The cape gannets accompany the commons most of the day and from the boat one gets the easiest indicator of action as they swarm and dive in immeasurable numbers gorging themselves on sardines.
Humpback whales too are abundant as they are migrating north for warmer water to mate and calve. Their courtship displays are awesome with pectoral slapping, tail slaps at +/- 30 tons, to witness these massive leviathans breach is absolutely breath-taking.
Copper sharks are common place and can easily be seen from the boat or if you are up to it on snorkel as they seem to hardly notice people in the water, they focus only on the Sardines. Most of us though prefer to stick to snorkelling with the dolphins and enjoying the sharks from the boat.
Then there's the "BAIT BALL" Every so often Dolphins and Sharks work together to separate a portion of a shoal and drive the fish to the surface where the scared and confused sardinesform a ball. It is then that a true mass feeding frenzy begins. Cape Gannets "rain" from the heavens in their thousands as Dolphins, Sharks, Seals, Bryde's Whales and even Penguins devour the ball from all sides. An experience that will stay in your memory forever.
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