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Video: orca sighting off the KZN South Coast
Category: Environment
Environmental issues and discussions.
Ocean Safari with Chelsea Dog and the B2 Humpback Whales
Ocean Safari with Chelsea Dog and the B2 Humpback Whales
Ocean Safari with Chelsea Dog and the B2 Humpback Whales: Dr. Oz Goffman (Head dolphin project of Haifa University -IMMRAC – The Recanati Institute for Maritime Studies/School of Marine Sciences) spends his life stalking and saving cetaceans of all kinds and in all places. But specifically these guys. The B2 population. And the C1 guys. These are the ever-entertaining humpback whale communities that visit us, and Mozambique, this time each year. (see graphic by Dr. Oz and colleagues below…secret intel for undercover whale spotters like the Umimkulu Adrenalin operation).
When I worked with Dr. Oz in the deep blue waters out off Bazaruto Island in Mozambique for a few years, we were covertly recording mother to calf humpback whale conversations. We spent literally months and months stalking these guys. So when I say Dr. Oz knows these guys by name, I do not mean literally (see the album slide in the video).
He knows them by name.
The B2 Bombers
Down here on the lower south coast of Kwazulu Natal in South Africa, we are perfectly poised to encounter the B2 bombers, travelling south to Cape Town, at this time of the year. This is their highway to Slaapstad, on their way to stopping off a while at Hermanus for a traditional jol.
And so it was really cool that we got another Ocean Safari booking this week. And this time we were far more camera-ready. Although we missed the ever-eventful launch (and this time was no different, it was wild!), the rest of the camera work went down a treat and the featured video almost made it out there yesterday!
On this trip, we actually only saw this one whale. But man did he perform. Launching right out clear into the air at times. We managed to get a few clips but our guests got the gold.
Umzimkulu Adrenalin
The Umzimkulu Adrenalin operation has fired up on the south bank of the Umzimkulu River. At the picturesque and bustling Spiller’s Wharf riverside shopping and business complex in Port Shepstone. This place is really quaint and historical with lots to absorb and learn about the history of the Umzimkulu River all over the place. It’s a very interesting building. There is even a 100-year-old boat parked in the driveway!
‘To all our previous clients, who have sent us their whale videos last week, we are busy compiling all the bits and pieces and will have yours out soon I promise!’
Sean
Ocean safaris, deep-sea fishing, river cruises, thrill rides, day fishing are all on offer at Umzimkulu Adrenalin. Come and see us, we are right at the back of the centre (Mr. Spiller’s old house).
Or…
Call Sean on +27 79 326 9671 or email umzimkulu@gmail.com.
More on https://thesardine.co.za and https://masterwatermen.co.za.
Bucktails vs The Law
Bucktails vs The Law
Bucktails vs The Law: “Sean, Sean, please man, we need your assistance. We’ve been arrested for jigging with bucktails! Fishing down here in PSJ!”, came the call.
DAFF
And so I sprang into action. Called up my dear DAFF contact Bongani, and asked him about it all. Bongani pulled out of the Mtata traffic he was in at that moment, and we discussed the situation. Over the following piece of legislation.
The law!
While there is literally zero chance of misinterpreting the intent of section (c) – its application to real-life normal fishing methods and styles is alarmingly loose.
Back to the victims
And so I called up the two dudes with the R2500 fines in their back pockets. And asked them how hard they were jigging. The response was kind of really vague as he started comparing his “medium” jigging style, to the guys on the boats out at sea. Who jig like crazy, he claimed.
Blame mentality for justification
But ok, I’ve been picking up on a new environmentally destructive mentality all over recently. It goes like this…
“But the trawlers take everything…”. Or, “Have you seen those netters in the Cape…”. Or. “The deep-sea ous catch it all anyway…”. “The spearos shoot them”. And so on…
All kinds of blame is used to justify catching 10 shad, or 5 brushers. And with The Parks Board, nee Ezimvelo, gone and stripped of its guts and morals by corruption under Zuma. And DAFF totally untrained and unready to take on the sophisticated networks of poachers that exist now – it’s a literal free-for-all as the ocean gets looted every day. And people just look on and say nothing. And do nothing. And worse still, use one of the claims above, to become an ocean looter too.
Back to Jigging with Bucktails
Yes well if you gonna jerk up hard with apparent or seeming intent at jigging something in the body, you gonna get busted. This is the price it seems we have to pay, to have the law enforceable. I am sorry for the seemingly innocent dudes who got busted. But maybe in the future, legislation allowing certain lures to be jigged hard across estuary channels teeming with breeding fish will be passed.
But for now, it’s definitely possibly maybe illegal.
I was an illegal jigger
True confession. I was an illegal jigger! Yip. For absolute real. This is the story…
Brucifire and I were staying at Jungle Monkey. This was a long time ago. 2015 to be exact. I was in PSJ with Bruce making a movie about surfing 2nd beach. Which we did, made our point, and got out. But man did we get in trouble for that.
But ok, I woke up at that beautiful backpackers, joined Bruce for a coffee in the lookout. And watched the sun climb through the clouds. The tide was gonna turn soon and it was an idyllic morning.
Something weird was abuzz too. Something in the air, the atmosphere. It was all electric.
“Bruce, I’m just gonna go catch a fish quick, ok?”. Bruce grumbled something encouraging through his coffee-stained morning beard. And I trundled down to the beach. As I pulled up, there was quite a scene going on. I jumped out and looked out over the water towards Agate, and there I saw them.
“Zambies!”, I exclaimed.
“Nay Bru, kob!”, he corrected me in the local PSJ tongue.
I nearly had a heart attack. I’ve never seen it since. Those huge fish were lolling and rolling over each other, as they spawned. In front of my innocently bleeding eyes. I went into that mental state of flow, but it never worked at all. I first put on the wrong spoon. Then clambered back up and changed to a 2 Oz MYDO LuckShot Jighead and a 7 inch plastic jerktail. Pink?! Crashed back down the bank and started at a spot where I was kind of on my own. I saw a guy in the distance lose an honest 20kg garrick right at the bricks. Split ring broke right at the gaff! Fish were everywhere this crazy memorable day. Adrenalin pulsing.
And then it was me. A solid thump. Something really big. And I was vas. For the very first time in all the years, I have tried to get a big fish from the shore, finally, I was in the game. And an hour and a half later, the gaff went in. And the hook fell out.
I had hooked the fish under the chin. Not in the mouth.
I had illegally jigged the fish.
But it was totally by accident I tell ya!
Luckily, the 20lb light tackle had served its purpose and the hook stayed in without its barb helping once, for the entire 90 minutes. That fish was my first, and most certainly will be my last big kob.
But ok, this all I had to process, before being able to resolve in my head, the fact…that jigging up hard and with seeming or apparent intent, is illegal.
No matter what lure you have tied on.
Epilogue
The two victims that initiated this story, took legal advice. Which was to contact the public prosecutor before the court date, and try to explain the situation.
However, the fines were totally invalid.
They had a court place that doesn’t even exist. There was no public prosecutor to contact. No information on the fines. The actual fining was invalid too. On video taken during the incident, many requests were made for the identities of the arresting officers. One of whom gave a first name, the other flatly denied. It was a $%^$% show and would never have held up in court. Even if there was one.
All the while, the real jiggers, were hiding in the bush laughing their heads off.
And the minute the DAFF dudes left, they were back at it.
Advice
Watch this video for some alternate ways of working estuary lures. Bucktails included. Pay special attention to the extremely gentle nature of any rod tip actions during fishing with these lures.
Gently. Is the key. To an estuary.
These days that’s by law!
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Just in case you’re not aware of who Brucifire is…
Legging it with the Green Net and Tony Turton on the Umzimkulu
Legging it with the Green Net and Tony Turton on the Umzimkulu
Legging it with the Green Net and Tony Turton on the Umzimkulu: Legging is a method of moving a boat through a canal tunnel or adit containing water. This method of navigating through canal tunnels and adits was commonly used in canal tunnels during the 18th and early 19th centuries.
It is still in practise today, on the mighty Umzimkulu River in KZN, South Africa.
And, that’s how we got home after a rather huge day upriver. On the good ship Umzimkulu. Sporting The Green Net (green warriors – more about them later) and none other than the world’s own River Raconteur – Professor Antony Turton! Also along for the alluvial educational ride was Selvan Chetty (ANC Chief Whip), Rowan Clark (Engineer), Louis Essery (KuluCrete), Vicky Wentzel (Tourism)…all supported by the land unit operated by Helmut Hansen (Green Net).
Professor Turton
Tony Turton is an encyclopedia. His store of knowledge on rivers and estuarine systems is startling. In the beginning, not many of us knew what he was talking about. But by the end of that boat ride, we all knew exactly.
This is Professor Anthony Turton…
The Green Net
The green terrorist group known as The Green Net is a lethal women-run organisation that is seemingly afraid of absolutely nothing. If you check their Facebook pages you will see pictures of these girls getting deep down in dirty rivers and other environmental hotspots all over the south coast.
Helen Dodge, Dianne Hayter and Joan Gallagher are the main conspirators. Backed up by a wide network of very interested and motivated allies. Some in very high places.
Their initiatives are well-supported and widespread. Gardens all over the place – teaching people how to utilise the soil, and resources, to the best possible results. Environmental concerns such as the berms at St. Helen’s Rock. And myriad more things.
All of these you can check out and get involved in at their comprehensive website on https://thegreennet.org.za. Which has recently received an all-new content lady named Donna Monk who has already dived right in. You can contact The Green Net from their website.
Marketing by The Green Net website team
From Donna…
“If you have products or services that are green in nature, The Green Net website team will gladly list your items on their online superstore for you. Sales will pay a negotiated commission to The Green Net.”
The Green Net website is filled with content and news. And this all-new e-commerce enabled store is gonna rock it!
Get in touch with Donna on +27 83 395 5544 to chat possibilities and options.
The Sardine News is a media partner for The Green Net.
Shad attack behaviour in Port Shepstone – the movie
Shad attack behaviour in Port Shepstone – the movie
Shad attack behaviour – the movie was shot on a shallow spot on the backline off Port Shepstone, KZN, South Africa. Near the end of the shad open season this crazy 2020. When they start to congregate to spawn.
The shad, unlike garrick or kob, are given a protected season. This was introduced decades ago when the shad were running out fast. At the end of this month, it is over for shad fishers until 1 December. Somehow this doesn’t make sense since it is the Garrick and kob that the help now. DAFF? Where are you guys on this?
Shad have many names including bluefish and tailor. And its Latin name comes straight out of Asterix and Obelix – Pomatomus Saltatrix!
Anyway, we found a large shoal moving around near the backline at Port Shepstone, and managed to get the GoFish cameras into the water with them. What an amazing amount of fun!
Firstly to have the shad in such a playful mood as they chased our lures from the bottom to the top. We got them on the surface too – like little billfish they mercilessly attacked our lures, often finding themselves cartwheeling through the air and tail-walking. Yes, out here in the blue and flat surface, shad take on a wild new character when cranking a spoon wildly across the top for them to chase.
And secondly, the video material we got out of this session, and some of what features in this video – literally blew our minds!
The GoFish cameras we recently added to our arsenal have completed the mission they were acquired for perfectly…
We can finally see underwater!
The only other people who get this perspective are the spearos and bubble-blowers. But now we can drop a camera down, and observe the goings on on and around the reef, without even getting wet!
Working with the GoFish Cameras
It is not in real-time. Wi-fi don’t work underwater. But we have a cute little computer on the boat that powers off a cell charger and its a quick card switch for us to be seeing what just happened downstairs on the reef below us. There is a wi-fi function on the cameras, however. As long as they are floating in their little life rings, and their bums are sticking up out if the water, you can then live stream in real-time the action going on. This is a very limited function but can be applied to certain limited scenarios.
Now if you buy your GoFish Cams from this here website, you will get unlimited email and telephonic support from me and us here at The Sardine News. We have been using these cameras extensively and have made all the mistakes possible. And we are still making them! Learning every day for sure!
So use the link above or below, depending on your device, to get in on this eye-opening way of working things out on your favourite reef or with your favourite fish!
If you would like to join us down here in Port Shepstone for the season, please get in touch. We are based at the Umzimkulu Marina, right in the banks of the Umzimkulu River – and we are fishing flat out!
We have deep-sea options from backline to billfish on offer. We have the famous Sandspit and The Block to fish from the side from. And then the marvelously fun estuary fishing where we encounter so many different species making every strike that much more interesting.
Please get in touch with Sean on umzimkulu@gmail.com or +27793269671 to work it out. Bookings have come back to normal luckily so think ahead in time.
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