Sardine run
approached the bait ball with only the sardines in sight. What we experienced initially was the calm before the storm, as the sardines darted around like thousands of synchronised swimmers. Every move is copied exactly by the whole school. Then all of a sudden all
hell broke loose – it seemed like everything happened in fast forward. Dolphins rushed in from all angles and copper sharks herded the sardines together from the bottom. The pace was so fast that we could actually feel the current these animals created when swimming past us. Just when I thought that I was used to the pace at which everything was happening, the waters surrounding me suddenly exploded – I could actually feel the vibrations through my body. Finally I realised what was happening. Cape gannets were diving from above, hitting the water at about a 140km an hour and causing these small explosions. They dive down to over 20m to hunt the sardines. This is an adrenaline rush that you won’t experience anywhere else. As quickly as everything starts, so it all disappears. The only indication of the mass slaughter that has just taken place right in front of your eyes is the scales floating in the water. Depending on the action,
a day at sea normally ends at lunchtime. Apart from the actual sardine activity, there is also a lot to see, including the beautiful coastline, unique spots like the Amphitheatre, Waterfall Bluff and general ocean activity such as whales and dolphins. Thanks to Mbotyi River Lodge you will never go hungry or thirsty while on ‘the run’. They prepare nice healthy snack boxes and plenty to drink while out on the boats. When back safely on terra
firma, lunch and a cold beer are just the right way to end this eventful dive. The rest of the afternoon is for your own leisure, and activities which you can indulge in – if you have energy left – include walks on the beach,
66 September/October 2011
drives on the beautiful country roads, off-roading, biking trips and microlight flights. A few of the species which I
spotted on this trip included Cape gannets, three kinds of petrels, including the pintado, albatrosses and skuas. Accompanying us on the dives were bottlenose, common and spinner dolphins, while humpback whales breached all over the place (I also spotted a Bryde’s whale joining in on the bait ball action). Cape fur seals kept on surprising us by breaking right through the sardines without a pause for us to get out of the way. The most adrenalin rushing, butt- clenching animals though were the sharks. Open mouthed they rush through the bait ball, causing havoc to the sardines and sending divers scattering. Scalloped hammerheads, duskies, black-tips, bronze whalers and even a raggy or two were encountered. If you would like to share
a similar experience, contact Walter or Sandy from African Watersports on 039-973-2505 or visit
www.africanwatersports.com. I would also like to thank Mboyti River Lodge for their hospitality and for keeping us happy once out of the water. For more information, call 082-674-1064 or 039-253-7200, email
info@mbotyi.co.za or visit
www.mbotyi.co.za
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