The Sardine Run occurs every year in South Africa between June and September when huge numbers of silvery sardines travel north from the cold southern oceans off Cape Point, moving inshore up the Transkei and KwaZulu-Natal coastlines in what is commonly known as the annual sardine run – resulting ultimately in ‘Sardine Fever’.

The Sardine Run brings with it an huge influx of marine activity including sharks, whales and dolphins as well as a number of other fish and along with this incredible spectacle, comes another creature – kindly Referred to as the tourist.

The winter “Sardine Fever”, starting in June, more often than not, is a spectacular display of large migrating pilchard known locally as sardine that swim north in gigantic shoals. They are followed by a frenzy of game fish, dolphins, sharks, birds and excited anglers. This is a unique phenomenon which seldom occurs elsewhere in the world.

Diving among the sardines is not for the faint-hearted; it is a unique experience that has been enjoyed by very few divers. The fever reaches a boiling point when tens of thousands of Cape gannets plunge from the sky feeding on the fish, with larger game-fish and numerous species of sharks all feasting on the abundance of food that is available.

The sardines shoal closely together minimizing their chances of being taken by predator. The dolphins join in on the excitement of the day and up to 3 000 bottlenose dolphins that can be seen. The sight of gannets in great flocks stalling in mid-air then plunging headlong into the ocean is one of the extraordinary sights of the sardine run along the KwaZulu-Natal coast.