Where are the sardines? A beautiful shot by Rob Nettleton depicting an early morning sardine check, deep down in the Transkei.
Joining us at thesardine.co.za from way out there in Port St. Johns is the shark lady herself – Debbie Smith! Debbie and Rob Nettleton operate Offshore Africa in Port St. Johns, the heart of the sardine run action as sharks, dolphins, whales, seabirds, gamefish…so her finger is right on the pulse. Debbie has promised regular updates on the wily sardines this year, and if you want to be right in amongst and part of the action, check out their website and book one of the last few remaining slots available! So, where are the sardines?
Thanks Debbie, over to you…
“It’s that time of the year………people you have not heard from since this
time last year pick up the phone to ask “where are the sardines? – any sign
of them? What do you think about dates for sightings? Where is the best
place to sight them? I hear they have already arrived in Durban??? (DUH have
not heard that one).
So the frenzy time is almost upon us. Skippers from outside operations are
busy servicing their equipment, running around gathering last minute
supplies, boat crew and dive guides are rushing about getting their last
minute extra dive gear in place, preparing for the cold winter water time
and if Mother Nature even had a clue as to how much running around and
excitement is taking place, what would she say??? What would the Cape
Gannets, the Albatros, the common dolphins all say, if they could, at this
build up to sardine run time or sardine run frenzy time? Probably laugh at
all of us I would imagine………….”
Thank you Debbie! Looking forward to the next update!
Successful Four Elements Conservation NPC Ocean Challenge sees youngsters take top titles
The second edition of the Four Elements Conservation NPC Ocean Challenge was an overwhelming success with all 120 competitors managing to finish within the two-and-a-half hour time limit and a whopping R100 000 raised for environmental conservation.
17-year-old Sasha-Lee Corris-Nordengen (Berea) took the top title at the Four Elements Conservation NPC Ocean Challenge.
The swimmers – ranging in age from 11 to 74 years – took to the ocean at 7am from Durban’s Vetch’s Reef, swimming to North Beach and back in fairly tough conditions. And although everyone swam extremely well, it was 17-year-old Sasha-Lee Corris-Nordengen who took the top title, and the winning prize valued at R6 300, in the 5km Ocean Challenge with a time of 1:06:08.
“It was a great swim!” said the Durban Girls’ College pupil, “The conditions there were flat although coming back was a bit choppier, but my surf lifesaving background helped and I really enjoyed it.”
Corris-Nordengen has represented South Africa from the age of 14 competing recently in the Junior World Open Water Champs in Hungary, the World Champs Lifesaving in France and the Region 5 All Africa Games in Zimbabwe. She has also been selected to represent South Africa in Australia later this year at the International Surf Rescue Challenge.
“I definitely prefer the open water swims, anything in a dam or an ocean. I was so happy to be able to compete because I was unavailable last year. I will definitely compete again next year,” she said.
First in the men’s division was one of the youngest competitors, 14-year-old Chad Michau from Clifton College with a time of 1:08:54.
Michau has overcome a fear of ocean swimming, competing in a few Dolphin Miles, however, this was his first 5km ocean swim making the win an even bigger achievement.
“The conditions were not too bad, a bit choppy, but I enjoyed it,” he said.
“This is my second year swimming competitively and I didn’t expect to do so well.”
Organised by Durban’s Olivia Taylor, 18, the founder of Four Elements Conservation, the Ocean Challenge aims to create awareness about ocean degradation while raising funds for conservation. The Ocean Challenge falls under the banner of Four Elements Conservation NPC, an internationally-recognised environmental organisation which Taylor founded at age 15.
Commenting on the race, Taylor said: “Last year we had 16 competitors and it was a huge success but this year surpassed all my expectations,” said the young environmentalist.
“Every swimmer finished despite the conditions being quite tough. The second leg of the race was difficult because of the currents and wind but the last swimmer came in six minutes before cut-off.”
Taylor said the feedback from participants after the race was overwhelmingly positive.
“The atmosphere was fantastic and they all expressed how happy they were that there was a long-distance ocean swim in Durban. The water was warm and visibility was great. They were humbled by the experience and I feel we achieved our goal.”
She also thanked the sponsors who included Woolworths, FMI, Suncoast Casino, Nandos, Island Style the Letschert, Hancock and Bantock families.
A simultaneous beach clean-up, headed by Julia van der Westhuyzen of the Durban Girls’ College Environmental Club, was also a success with a number of youngsters picking up litter between Durban Surf Lifesaving Club and uShaka Beach.
Funds raised at the epic swim will also go towards the Four Elements Evironmental Scholarship Camp which will be awarded to at least six environmentally passionate youngsters between the ages of 10 and 18.
Taylor will be selecting the candidates based on a written application, followed by an interview, and the successful adolescents will attend an informative four-day camp at on the Zululand coast in December, headed by Taylor.
“The camp will involve a series of workshops covering essential business skills, sustainable fundraising and using your youth to your advantage. There will also be engaging environmental activities such as shark dives and walking with rhinos,” Taylor explained.
Four Elements Conservation NPC Ocean Challenge 2015 Results:
Swimmers set to make a splash at today’s Four Elements Conservation NPC Ocean Challenge
More than 100 environmentally-minded swimmers are set to take to the water this Saturday (16 May) for the 2015 Four Elements Conservation NPC Ocean Challenge.
Among the 117-registered swimmers are two former Olympians, Mandy Loots and Clifford Lyne, as well as top national swimmers Sarah Ferguson, Sasha-Lee Nordengen, Jay-Cee Thomson and Julian Taylor, who will be defending his Ocean Challenge title this year.
Taylor and Nordengen will be flying the national surf-lifesaving banner on the day. They will be joined by fellow lifesavers, Heather Campbell, as well as last year’s womens’ winner, Ayanda Maphumulo.
Established by Durban’s, Olivia Taylor when she was just 15 years old, Four Elements Conservation NPC is an internationally-recognised organisation which aims to preserve the natural environment. The Ocean Challenge is one of the projects that falls under this banner.
Now in its second year, the hugely popular Ocean Challenge – which started with 16 participants in 2014 – will see swimmers take to the Indian Ocean in Durban and swim a gruelling five kilometres, ending at North Beach.
“The aim of the swim is to create awareness about the immense degradation of our oceans,” explained Four Elements Conservation founder, Olivia Taylor, 18. “There will be an interesting mix of people swimming this year, from 13-year-olds to top CEOs, all with a passion to conserve our environment.”
Starting at North Beach at 6.30am, the swimmers will head towards uShaka Pier and then back to North Beach, where top swimmers will complete the 5km swim in about one hour. A safety briefing will take place at North Beach shortly before the start at 6am.
The event will wrap up with an awards’ ceremony, starting at 9.30am at Durban Surf Lifesaving Club, which is open to the public.
Apart from the environmental awareness created, the swim will also fund the Four Elements Evironmental Scholarship which will be awarded to successful applicants between the ages of 10 and 18. The successful candidates will attend an informative four-day camp which will be run by Olivia Taylor in December.
“Camp attendees will be selected based on several criteria, including passion for environmental conservation,” explained Taylor. “The aim is to create young, green, capable social entrepreneurs.”
She said the successful applicants will learn how to convert their passion for environmental conservation into tangible change by developing skills in marketing, fund-raising and cash-flow governance. The youngsters will learn what is needed to become independent young environmental entrepreneurs.
For those who are eager to get involved in ocean conservation on the day but prefer to remain on land, a beach walk and clean-up will take place alongside the swim challenge. This benevolent endeavour, which will be co-ordinated by the Durban Girls’ College Environmental Club, will start at 6.30am at Durban Surf Lifesaving Club moving to uShaka Beach and back. Participants can simply turn up on the day.
Although entries for this year’s swim have closed, there are late entries available, at an extra cost, for anyone still wanting to participate. The swim is open to anyone confident of swimming the distance in the ocean.
The forward thinking folks over at IGFA (International Game Fishing Association), noted the decline in our fisheries over the decades. The official keepers of world record catch data saw it happening, and started to work towards a more conservation oriented organisation.
They embraced the internet and what it can do, and implemented a stream of measures and projects centred around conservation and education. And now this, their latest and rather fanciful exercise – a marlin race!
It’s been running since 2011 and it’s appeal has grown and grown. Sponsorship poured in and many satellite tags were deployed into hapless but free to swim marlin, caught and tagged by anglers around the world, including right here in South Africa.
IGFA Great Marlin Race: and a satellite tag is deployed with the release of a huge black marlin off Australia. Image courtesy IGFA
So, the farthest swimming marlin wins the race. Or, the boat who tagged that far swimming fish get the honours. The marlin already won his prize – his life! The IGFA Great Marlin Race has been a huge success and data gathered from the project will be analysed and honed into solid recommendations by Stanford University, for the conservation of our billfish species.
On the search for sardines – join these elegant yet swift hunters as they search the Transkei Wild Coast for signs of the elusive sardine shoals trying to sneak by un-nnoticed by the multitude of marine and human life waiting eagerly for them. Please share and enjoy the image by Rob Nettleton.
On the search for sardines…May heralds colder conditions and more westerley winds – exactly what the sardines want. Offshore Africa in Port St. Johns are practically full but have had a few cancellations right in the prime sardine and marine life sighting weeks – head on over to http://www.offshoreportstjohns.com/ to make an enquiry.
