Sardine Run Shark Feeding Frenzy Phenomenon in Africa
In a spectacular underwater marine ballet, millions of sardines run in hundreds of shoals, swirling, dancing, and transforming in shape in the annual Sardine Run — an unexplained phenomenon that’s been dubbed “the greatest shoal on earth” — for which they make their way through the cold Atlantic waters off the Cape towards the sub-tropical waters of the Indian Ocean, with vast numbers of predators in hot pursuit.
Photo Bigpicturesphoto.com
From the last week of May through early July every year, South African pilchard spawn in the cool waters of the Agulhas Bank and move northward in droves for what researchers say could rival East Africa’s great wildebeest migration.
Their sheer numbers create a feeding frenzy along the coastline for sharks, dolphins, and even killer whales for a breathtaking event of the year’s greatest feast which is unique in both magnitude and complexity to the region.
Photo Bigpicturesphoto.com
Photo Bigpicturesphoto.com
Photo Bigpicturesphoto.com
As many as 18,000 Bottlenose and Common dolphins play their role like sheepdogs to expertly herd the sardines, pushing them to the shallow water where they’re more comfortable with hunting.
Running in hundreds of shoals, the sardines desperately attempt to throw off the deadly ambush of legions of predators that congregate in the formerly tranquil waters.
The silvery sardine’s instinctual behavior for defense to group together when they’re threatened creates massive ‘bait balls,’ which are short lived and seldom last longer than 10 to 20 minutes.
Photo Bigpicturesphoto.com
Photo Bigpicturesphoto.com
Photo Bigpicturesphoto.com
Once rounded up, sharks — Hammerheads, Coppers, Blacktip, Tiger, Spinner, and Great White — and other sea life including tuna and sailfish take turns diving through the bait balls, gorging on the fish as they sweep through the groups at will, feasting on massive mouthfuls of fish.
Cape Fur Seals also follow the shoals up the Eastern Cape coastline as far as Port St Johns.
The sardines aren’t even safe from the skies as they’re driven towards the surface, where voracious seabirds — Cape gannet, cormorants, terns and gulls — arrive in flocks and plummet through the blue waters like fighter planes from as high as 90 feet (30 meters), leaving vapor-like trails behind as they devour their victims en masse.
The shoals are often more than 4 miles (7 kilometers) long, 1 mile (1.5 kilometers) wide and 100 feet (30 meters) deep, clearly visible from spotter planes against the sandy shallow waters.
These bait balls can be anywhere from 33 to 66 feet (10 to 20 meters) in diameter and extend to a depth of up to 10 meters or more.
Photo Bigpicturesphoto.com
Photo Bigpicturesphoto.com
Photo Bigpicturesphoto.com
Untold thousands of marine animals — ’super-pods’ of as many as 2,500 dolphins, sharks, up to 300 on just one bait ball, and whales — devour the hapless plankton feeders, but surprisingly make little impact on the overall shoal size.
As one of Mother Nature’s most spectacular natural wonders on the planet, little is known about this phenomenon, but it’s believed that the water temperature has to drop below 70°F (21°C) in order for the migration to take place. Several years when the waters were too warm, the sardines have failed to ‘run.’
It occurs when a current of cold water heads north from the Cape Agulhas Bank — Africa’s most southerly point — during the southern hemisphere’s winter and swim north up to Mozambique, swarming the beaches of KwaZulu-Natal.
The run makes this trip through treacherous ocean currents along the rugged coastline and travels further east, disappearing into the deep Indian Ocean’s high seas — about a 1,000 mile ‘travelling buffet’ journey.
Sharks and dolphins in the bait ball, Wild Coast, South Africa.
Photo Copyright patsOn
Photo Copyright patsOn
Photo Copyright patsOn
Sardines have a short life-cycle, living only from 2 to 3 years. Adult sardines about 2 years of age amass on the Agulhas Banks off the southern Cape coast where they spawn during spring and summer, releasing tens of thousands of eggs into the water which are then fertilized by males.
The eggs drift west and north with the current into the waters off the west coast, where the larvae mature and develop into juvenile fish. Once strong enough, they aggregate into dense shoals and migrate southwards, returning to the Agulhas banks in order to complete their life cycle.
Thermal satellite images now suggest currents rather than spawning or large plankton blooms trigger the migration. Scientists believe it’s primarily the cool water coming up the coast in the winter months that allows them to extend their range.
But experts are still mystified as to why the fish leave nutrient-rich feeding grounds for emptier, sub-tropical climes.
In these times of dwindling fish stocks, the shoals surprisingly represent a mere fraction of South Africa’s sardine fishery. Just 800 tons are caught off KwaZulu-Natal every year compared to 100,000 tons on the Agulhas Banks.
Sailfish goes after the bait ball, Wild Coast, South Africa. Photo Copyright patsOn
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Photo Copyright patsOn
The Sardine Run also coincides with the annual migration of Humpback Whales that move north for the season into warmer water to mate and calve, performing their own spectacular display of breaching from the waters. They travel up to 5,000 miles (8,000 kilometers) for the journey in what’s probably the longest mammal migration known to man.
It’s been said that the sardine run is the only place in the world where scientists and tourists can see such extensive predation so close to shore, attracting many adventure seekers and extreme divers for this unique hunting collaboration and feeding competition between different species in a dazzling wildlife extravaganza as one of the largest marine events on the planet.
Great South African Sardine Run
Special thanks to Chana from E-BrightHorizons for the inspiration by sending images.
Sources: Wikipedia and Reuters / FLMNH
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Recommended read:
India’s Ingenious Fishing Contraptions by Deputy Dog
hey awesome man!!! can i have some more of these kinds of events???
i love these underwater shows….
Great pics Deborah.
I have seen this phenomenon myself and it is truly awesome. The shark nets are lifted, game fishermen go bananas, the dolp[hins have a ball and the dive-bombing gannets feed like gluttons – how they don’t skewer themselves in their dive bombing assaults is a miracle. When the shoals are driven inshore the locals go absolutely crazy deploying seine nets and stealing fish from one another.
What might interest you, and others reading this, is a short piece from my ‘hope to be soon published book’: “, in April 1950 the British National Institute of Oceanography’s research vessel ‘R.R.S. William Scoresby’, a converted whaler, sailed to East London on passage back to England. Under the command of Capt. A.F. Macfie the ‘Scoresby’ was returning from her only commission for the National Institute. She had been engaged in a programme of whale marking in the Southern Indian Ocean and while in South African waters conducted an extensive survey of the Benguela Current. Under the scientific direction of Robert Clarke it was intended that the ‘William Scoresby’ also make the first known determined search for coelacanths off the south-east coast of South Africa. Some ten days was spent in an unsuccessful attempt to catch a coelacanth using trawl nets, baited long-lines and traps. Incidentally, it was on this trip that scientists aboard the ‘Scoresby’ made discoveries that led to the identification of the breeding grounds of the South African pilchard thus opening up a multi-million Rand industry that was to later face some harsh criticism when these fishes faced extinction through over-fishing.”
Circles within circles
Robin
it’s amazing how the motion of all those sardines (the cloud-like darting) resemble the motion of large groups of birds i’ve seen out here in California. i’ve been on the freeway and seen traffic slow as drivers watch the “in-the-air” version of what those fish are doing. truly beautiful.
animal are a lot smarter then we think. Some times I think there are more smarter then us
Thanks Roshni, it’s certainly an amazing phenomenon
I agree Robin, they’re incredible photos. That must have been amazing to see first-hand. Circles within circles indeed.
You are incredibly well-versed in marine life based on information that you’ve shared with me. It’s no small wonder the Smithsonian has called upon you for help on various aspects
I hope that your book gets published soon 
Thanks for sharing this.
Ernie, I’ve seen a similar behavior in Starlings where I live in Canada as well. At least I believe they’re Starlings. They arrive in spring, and they’re only here for a limited number of days. It’s quite an amazing sight.
Thats the power of nature.
it’s amazing how God creates the world..
in indonesia there are some island that have beautiful sea view for divers like that such as Bunaken and Nusa Tenggara
although it’s beautiful, i’ll be scared to death if i saw so many fishes like that around me hehehe
What an amazing underwater photography, combination of a pro skill of underwater photography and the perfect object and moment. its pleasant to see how those fish move beautifully.
Thanks Deborah, your articles mix the strange and beautiful together so well. Those are some georgous images, great article.
Nature is such a beautiful force.
I think those are the same birds that kept stealing my food on the beach while on a cruise. Thieves!
Absolutely stunning pictures.
Fantastic photos! what a sight.
Fantastic photos! what a great sight.
I use to snorkel off the west coast of Florida the scenes were really great, but nothing like the pictures in this post. The underwater world is truely beautiful and something new will be found on each dive. Looks like the dolphins and sharks will eat good–but then they always do. I use to love to go to the bottom and see the world of the little creatures living there–very unique and special. I miss those days–the scenery, the solitude of the dive and that special connection with nature.
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Thank you very much for this information.
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I wonder where I could buy pictures of the sardine run with birds diving to get them?
Shame such a short life-cycle for the sardines – just two to three years! Well, at least they make beautiful models along with the dolphins and sharks in these stunning photographs.
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