For several years now, many things have changed during the South African Sardine run season: the small handful of centers has now transformed into a huge fleet of boats that head out to sea between February and July to witness the greatest marine migration of the southern hemisphere! Thousands of tourists, coming from all corners of the globe – diving and snorkeling enthusiasts, photographers – drawn by this grand spectacle offered by the ocean, now form an integral part of this annual migration… (photos © Expert-Tours).
But among the dozens of providers present in the market, how do you find a responsible organizer with the necessary permits and experience to follow the Sardine run? It is to answer this question that three dive centers – African Water Sports, Aliwal Shoal Scuba et Dive Expert-Tours – decided to join forces by creating the association South African Sardine Run Charter Owners’ Association (SASRCOA) which aims to guarantee a quality label and tourism that complies with local South African laws. With their experience and expertise, they created a code of conduct that directly stems from applicable laws in cooperation with the administration DEAT (Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism). This code notably defines the proper behaviors to follow the Sardine run: how to behave below and above water with the mammals? How to approach each species present (whales, dolphins…)?
The founding members of the association invite other local providers (dive centers, hotels, travel agencies…) as well as other international operators to join them: “The more of us there are, the more influential we will be and we can save the sardine run as it exists today,” says Rainer Schimpf, owner of Dive Expert-Tours in Port Elizabeth. “ In the near future, we plan internal workshops so that new members can benefit from the know-how of former organizers.” The themes covered during these workshops will be varied: how to approach whales and dolphins responsibly and legally, how to avoid accidents, what to do in case of distress at sea…
But what is the Sardine run and where does the spectacular success of this annual phenomenon come from? The Sardine run is one of the largest, but also the last marine adventure in the southern hemisphere, comparable to the great migration of wildebeests on the Serengeti Plains in Tanzania. During the Sardine run, thousands of fish, especially sardines, travel along the eastern coast of South Africa against the current heading north. These massive schools move from offshore, at the shallow continental shelf south of Cape Agulhas, to reach the coast around Port Elizabeth (Eastern Cape) up to Durban in KwaZulu Natal. They have only one goal: to spawn in the warm waters of the Agulhas current. This current sends the fry back to the continental shelf near the Cape where they can hatch and grow in these highly nutritious waters. Once they reach their adult size, the sardines resume their journey north in January of the following year. And the adventure between the hunters and the hunted begins anew, with predators – sharks, dolphins, whales, seabirds, and penguins – relishing this gigantic pantry!
To learn more about the South African Sardine Run Charter Owners’ Association (SASRCOA): www.sasrcoa.co.za
