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A Safari Tour Itinerary

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The South African Sardine Run: A Marine Photography & Diving Special

A Customizable Trip to South Africa

south african sardine run

Highlights

Each year, vast shoals of sardines leave their home in South Africa’s temperate seas and travel northwards. They are followed by a caravan of predators, seabirds, sharks, game fish and marine mammals with little else but sardines on their mind.


Price Available
On Request

Duration
8 days / 7 nights

Transport
Overland Safari

Accommodation
Guest-house

Exploring
Eastern Cape


About this Safari

chris-fallowsChalo Africa is thrilled to collaborate with shark expert and renowned wildlife photographer, Chris Fallows, to bring you a ringside seat to the Sardine Run. His camera expertise and knowledge of apex predators will add a whole other dimension to your dives…

The Sardine Run in South Africa is one of the world’s top wildlife spectacles and is on par with events like the Serengeti Wildebeest Migration. Each year during May, June and July, vast shoals of sardines leave their normal cold-water home in South Africa’s temperate seas and travel northwards into the sub-tropical seas of South Africa’s Wild Coast. Following the shoals is a caravan of predators, seabirds, sharks, game fish and marine mammals with little else but sardines on their mind.

Tens of thousands of common dolphins charge after the shoals, separating them into densely packed bait balls. Easy pickings not only for them but also for schools of hundreds of bronze whaler, dusky and blacktip sharks, which attack the bait ball from below. The aerial assault on the sardines begins when tens of thousands of cape gannets begin their spectacular plunge diving display. (Please note: Bait balls are rare and we cannot expect to dive on these every day.)


Request for the Full Itinerary

or call our African safari specialists at
+1 703 220 6393 or +91 9717 275237


Day By Day Itinerary

Itinerary
  • Arrive 8 June
  • Boating days: Six boating days
  • 06h30 – 07h30 Breakfast
  • 07h30 – 07h45 Guests collected from hotels, transferred down to launch site.
  • 07h30 – 08h30 Guests kit up, boat launch (river or beach, tide dependant).
  • 14h00 – 15h00 Boats return home
  • 18h00 – Evenings at leisure.
  • Depart 15 June

Location: Subject to animal activity.

Seasonality End May, June and July

Dive Depth: Surface – 20 metres in water column 50 – +100 metres

Dive Type:

  • Surface drift dive
  • Snorkelling / scuba/ Nitrox/ re-breathers
  • Boat based viewing opportunities available for non-divers

Typical Visibility: Old Transkei Coast and East London 6 – 30m / 20 – 100 ft Average 12 meters / 50 ft

Water Temperature: June – July 15 – 22C 5mm wetsuit or dry suit advised

Travel: Non-direct international flights into East London

Accommodation: Accommodation is subject to animal activity during the Sardine Run in South Africa. Accommodation is set to be in East London in a four-star guest house, but final confirmation on accommodation will only be set the week before client arrival.


More

Marine Life
  • Sardines
    A 20-30cm silver fish, with a bluish colour on top. Distinguishable by the row of 10-15 black spots on the flanks. These fish form vast shoals off the Agulhas Banks.Predator Caravan (inter alia):Sharks:

    • Copper sharks, Carcharhinus brachyurus
    • Spotted ragged tooth shark, Carcharias Taurus
    • Black tip sharks, Carcharhinus limbatus
    • Dusky sharks, Carcharhinus obscurus

    Cetaceans:

    • Common Dolphin, Delphinus capensis
    • Indian Ocean Bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops aduncus
    • Killer whale, Orcinus orca
    • Bryde’s whale, Balaenoptera edini

    Pinnipeds:

    • Cape fur seal, Arctocephalus pusillus

    Birds:

    • Cape Gannet, Morus capensis
    • Petrels and Shearwaters,
    • Blackbrowed Albatross, Diomedea melanophris
    • African penguin, Shpenicus demersus

Gallery

  • south african sardine run
  • south african sardine run
  • south african sardine run
  • south african sardine run
  • south african sardine run

South Africa Sardine Run Map

East London, Eastern Cape, South Africa


Best Time to Visit

January

Fair

February

Fair

March

Fair

April

Fair

May

Good

June

Best

July

Good

August

Fair

September

Fair

October

Fair

November

Fair

December

Fair

This trip begins and ends in East London, South Africa


Enquire Now

You can add any other comments about your trip here. If you are travelling with children, please let us know how old they are.

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View all safari tours in South Africa »

Chalo Africa provides luxury African safari tours and holidays from the United States (Washington DC), United Arab Emirates (Dubai) and India.


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