Quiet on the sardine front
The KZN Sharks Board has reported that no definite sardine activity has been noted.
THE KZN Sharks Board (KZNSB) Maritime Centre of Excellence undertook an observation flight earlier this morning (Friday, 24 June) in an attempt to locate any sardine activity which may be visible off or approaching the KZN coast from the Eastern Cape.
Head of operations at the KZNSB Centre of Excellence, Mike Anderson-Reade, said unfortunately it was an extremely quiet flight with no definite sardine activity noted.
“There are still many small pockets of east coast round herring (red eye sardines) and mackerel clearly visible in the area from Port St John’s through to the Mbhashe River mouth. These are accompanied by several hundred common and bottlenose dolphins that feed on the shoals from time to time,” said Anderson-Reade.
He said visual confirmation of the species of bait fish has been obtained from dive operators in the area.
“The absence of sardines seems to be supported by the very few Cape gannets that were seen on the flight. These birds are normally found in great numbers feeding on sardines, which is their preferred prey,” he said.
Anderson-Reade said water temperatures along the south coast remain in the region of 21.5°C which, although ideal for bathers, is generally too warm for sardines, which favour water temperatures of 19.5°C and below.
The sardine run is notoriously unpredictable and the current situation could change very quickly.
All shark safety gear remains in place at the 37 protected beaches along the KZN coastline and the KZNSB will continue to monitor activity in the days ahead.
