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2012 will be the 8th year that Dive The Big 5 has participated in the annual Sardine Run!
The Sardine Run is one of the world’s top wildlife spectacles and is on a par with events like the Serengeti Wildebeest Migration.
Each year during June and July, vast shoals of sardines leave their normal cold-water home in South Africa’s temperate seas and travel northwards into the sub-tropical seas of South Africa’s Wild Coast. Following the shoals is a caravan of predators, seabirds, sharks, game fish, and marine mammals with little else but sardines on their mind. Tens of thousands of common dolphins charge after the shoals, separating them into bait balls densely packed. Easy pickings not only for them but also for schools of hundreds of bronze whaler, dusky and black tip sharks, which attack the bait ball from below.
The aerial assault on the sardines begins when ten thousands of cape gannets begin their spectacular plunge diving display. You will experience this wildlife spectacle from a ringside seat, either viewing from the boat, snorkelling on the ocean surface or diving beneath the waves on scuba. This is marine wildlife watching at its most spectacular, a once in a lifetime opportunity to be part of something that many of the worlds top marine biologists, wildlife photographers and filmmakers consider the most intense and spectacular marine wildlife event in the world.
The Sardines A 20-30 cm silver fish, bluish colour on top. Distinguishable by the row of 10 – 15 black spots on the flanks. These fish form vast shoals off the Agulhas Banks.
The Predator Caravan (inter alia) Sharks Copper sharks (Carcharhinus brachyurus); Spotted ragged tooth shark (Carcharias Taurus); Black tip sharks (Carcharhinus limbatus); Dusky sharks (Carcharhinus obscurus);
Cetaceans Common Dolphin (Delphinus capensis); Indian Ocea Bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops aduncus); Killer whale (Orcinus orca); Bryde’s whale (Balaenoptera edini);
Location East London, but subject to change depending on the whereabouts of the Sardines.
Seasonality June / July but expedition dates set for June 04 through June 11 2011 subject to a minimum number of participants joining the expedition. This trip is based on a maximum of 10 participants with a minimum of 6 participants.
Dive Depth Surface -20 meters in water column 50 – 100+ metres.
Dive Type Rated strenuous! Surface drift dive; snorkelling; scuba; nitrox; rebreathers. Boat based viewing opportunities available for non-divers.
Visibility Old Transkei Coast and East London areas:
6 – 30m 20 – 100 ft Average 12 meters / 50 ft.
Water Temperature 15 – 22 º C. 5mm wet suit or dry suit advised.
Itinerary
Travel There are no direct international flights into East London. Dive The Big 5 can arrange all domestic flights and no commissions are charged for this service.
Accommodation Accommodation is subject to animal activity. Accommodation is set to be in East London, at the Kennaway Hotel >www.katleisure.co.za/kennawayhotel Final confirmation will only be finally confirmed the week before the beginning of the expedition.
General itinerary Arrive Saturday, June 04
Boating days: June 05 to 10
06h30 – 07h30: Breakfast. 07h30 – 07h45: Clients collected from hotel and transferred to launch site. 07h30 – 08h30: Kit up, pre-dive briefing and launch boat. Could be either river or beach launch which are tide dependant. 14h00 – 15h00 Boats return home. 17h30: Dive planning / evening presentation on specified evenings. 18h00: Evenings at leisure.
