‘Almost lost a leg there’ jokes videographer as ‘Greatest Shoal on Earth’ revives its famed reputation

It’s been so long since the coast has experienced the real ‘buzz’ of a sardine run that some may have forgotten the phrase ‘Greatest Shoal on Earth’.

That all changed last weekend, with huge shoals coursing past, followed by an entourage of sharks and birds.

ALSO READ: WATCH: Nothing fishy as sardines netted on South Coast

The signs were there on the Sunday afternoon, as aerial photographs on social media revealed the dark shadows against the clear blue winter sea.

One fisherman, at the time, described the sea as ‘big’, the massive shoals as getting ‘smashed’ and the activity ‘ballistic’.

The next day the predicted burst of frenetic activity coincided with day one of Alert Level 3 of the lockdown.

Many locals seemingly forgot about the general gloominess (and in some cases regulations and restrictions – technically we’re still not allowed on the beach or in the sea) of the lockdown and headed out in their numbers to beaches along the coast, particularly at Pumula, Ramsgate, Southbroom and Marina Beach.

The almost festive atmosphere was somewhat reminiscent of a school break-up day.

Licensed seine netters, permitted to operate, dragged heavy nets filled with fish onto the shore.

A large shark, believed to be a bronze whaler, stole the show at a Ramsgate beach.

A video recorded by Faeez ‘Fuz’ Mamdoo did the rounds on social media and racked up many hundreds of views on the Herald website.

ALSO READ: WATCH: Huge shark caught in sardine seine net 

He described it as an exciting experience. “Almost lost a leg there,” he said, jokingly of course.

It was hauled in by fishermen and ultimately set free after a short tussle on the beach.

The fishermen did all they could to safely get the shark out of the net and back into the sea.

After wriggling ‘leopard crawl style’ across the wet sand it took a few attempts to get going in the shallow water, rolling over with its mouth open wide.

At first there were concerns it may not be able to get out, but eventually a big enough wave came in for the shark to find its bearings and make its way out to sea.

The crowd cheered wildly, first possibly in relief and then in the realisation that something a little unusual and a lot special had just happened.

Phelisa Mangcu, the CEO of Ugu South Coast Tourism, said footage of the run would be shared on social media platforms.

“Fortunately, nature is not limited by the current travel restrictions in place and we were able to experience the annual Sardine Run which has brought much activity to the KZN South Coast,” she said.

“This is usually one of the area?s biggest tourism attractions, but this year we are obviously observing all national lockdown Level 3 restrictions and beaches remain closed. However, USCT will be sharing footage of the Sardine Run on its social media platforms to give everyone a chance to experience this wonderful event from home.”

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