The Sardine Run - South Africa
Often billed as "The greatest Shoal on Earth" Every year around June or July on the Kwa-Zulu Natal coastline the word spreads like wildfire and, within a matter of hours, hordes of frenzied human predators congregate on the beaches to join sharks, game fish, marine mammals and birds in a feeding frenzy. The Sardine Run has begun!
This is a time of abundance for all as unbelievably
large shoals of sardines swim in unison up the South coast of Kwa-Zulu Natal,
South Africa. It’s an annual marine phenomenon that has been dubbed “The
Greatest Shoal on Earth”.
Sardine, whether fresh or frozen, canned or pickled or even used as bait, feature extensively in the lives of most South Africans. Sardines, akin to their close relatives, the herrings and anchovies, live their lives in massive shoals in the surface layers of the ocean. Even though these fish may be small, collectively they make up nearly a quarter of the world's fish catch, making them an important group of fish.
Sardines live fast and die young and grow swiftly to reach a maximum length of just below 20 centimeters. They seldom live more than 3 years. When they are strong enough to swim against the current, they amass into thick shoals, becoming a source of food for most of the bigger marine predators. Game fish, birds, dolphins and seals compete with humans for a share of the bounty. The sight of Cape gannets folding their wings back to spear dive into the ocean amidst a school of surging dolphins into a boiling mass of panic-stricken sardines is an amazing spectacle. But the ocean predators are not the only ones on the hunt. The behavior of locals rushing to the beaches to get their share of the spoils is equally frenzied when shoals of sardines come ashore during the renowned 'Sardine Run'.
Seine nets are also used, which are pulled in from the shore. The encircled fish are dragged onto the beach in the nets and quickly scooped into buckets and baskets by the fishermen and eager helpers.
Sometimes the wind and currents force the sardines close to the beach, where they are then easily caught using any receptacle that comes to hand - baskets, buckets, hand nets and even skirts! When sardines beach anything goes, drawing swarms of people into the surf and even larger groups of amused spectators.
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