[Image: Wikimedia Commons/ Lakshmi Sawitri]
An uncountable number of sardines have ditched the Cape, gunning it up to the KwaZulu-Natal south coast and kickstarting what’s been dubbed the ‘Greatest shoal on Earth’. Dramatic? Maybe. Accurate? Definitely.
Yes, the sardine run officially kicked off this past weekend, and like clockwork, the ocean turned into a fishy freeway.
The silver tidal wave surging through the water has been drawing in every sharp-toothed predator in the neighbourhood. Sharks, dolphins, and a frenzy of beachgoers have all joined the chaos, but only the first two are allowed in the water. Sorry, humans, nature’s got dibs.
The Greatest Shoal on Earth is Almost Here!
From May to July, KwaZulu-Natal’s coastline comes alive with one of nature’s most spectacular phenomena — the Sardine Run.A dream for filmmakers.
Catch it if you can.#SardineRun #KZNSardines #MagicalZuluKingdom #FilmInKZN pic.twitter.com/pqkdX1fqzF
— KZN Tourism & Film – Film in KZN (@FilmInKZN) April 30, 2025
Every winter, millions of southern African pilchards – AKA sardines – swarm up the coast in kilometre-long shoals, forming the Sardine Run: part nature documentary, part marine rave.
Sardine Run 2025 | Scottburgh Beach | 02 June
Over 1.6 kilometres of sardines moving like a silver river at Scottburgh Beach!#SardineRun2025 #ScottburghBeach #DroneVideography #JuelzVisuelz #DjiAir3S #DjiDrone pic.twitter.com/dDPmWCWalY
— Juelz Visuelz (@JuelzVisuelz) June 2, 2025
And as usual, it’s not just the sardines making headlines. The run’s an all-you-can-eat buffet for dolphins, sharks, whales, gulls, and any self-respecting game fish in the area. It’s survival of the fastest and goriest.
In the interest of not turning swimmers into chum, per The Citizen, eThekwini Municipality dropped the hammer: “This is due to the removal of shark nets to allow for the sardine run,” the municipality announced online, essentially saying, “Stay out of the water unless you want to meet a curious Zambezi.”
The Sardine run has started. The Greatest Shoal on Earth. #sardines #SouthAfrican #kwazulunatal pic.twitter.com/ksczdmHMMR
— Steve, The time traveling Neanderthal (@DsclsdAwareness) June 1, 2025
The KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board Maritime Centre of Excellence has removed the shark protection gear to give predators free range. No nets, no boundaries, just nature doing what nature does: feeding the frenzy.
Wayne Harrison from the KZN Sharks Board broke it down on Monday, following a wild weekend of activity off Port Edward:
“Two netters were successful on Saturday, and a total of approximately 80 crates of sardines were netted at Port Edward. One of the nets had 21 sharks caught; all of the sharks were released alive,” he said on Facebook.
That’s right – 21 sharks. Alive and swimming. Bet you’re glad the beaches are closed now.
Sardine Run 2025 is up and running! First netting of the season earlier this morning at Port Edward! #SardineRun2025 #SardineRun #Sardines #PortEdward
Pics: Various Sources pic.twitter.com/nsXraX6yh9
— Juelz Visuelz (@JuelzVisuelz) June 1, 2025
Sunday’s effort at Sandspit brought in over 40 crates, but much of the catch — sardines and some sharks — were sent packing back into the sea. Shoals later swam north to Pumula, but rough conditions made netting near impossible.
By Monday, the ocean had chilled out just enough for netters to snag shoals at Pennington and Rocky Bay. Still packed with sardines. Still packed with sharks. Still absolutely mental.
Over the weekend, the board confirmed they’d “neutralised” shark gear from Port Edward all the way to Isipingo — and while no fresh captures were reported, the shark activity is off the charts. So yeah, bathing from Port Edward to Isipingo? Still banned. Don’t be that guy.
[Source: The Citizen]
