Sightings is a blog of marine life sightings up and down the southern African coastline. Sardines, dolphins, whales, turtles, gamefish etc…log the location, the species, the date and hopefully a photo or video too…anyone can play…!
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Submitted by: Dane Elliot
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The garrick have been putting on a fine show up and down the coast, at all the hot spots.
Port Shepstone is a favourite hangout for garrick as they try to get into the river mouth to spawn, coming out hungry and aggressive, attacking anything to re-energise themselves.
On some days, there have been multiple simultaneous hookups – great entertainment, as can be seen in this video, shot a few years back, at the Sandspit.
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Submitted by: Shonalanga
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Humpback whales are still being spotted way up north. They have certainly decided to travel though and pod after pod have been steaming past heading south at speed.
Tofo’s main attraction has to be it’s marine life. Huge turtles can be encountered right in the surf zone. Manta rays, whale sharks and dolphins often cruise through the line up. The water is really clear all year round and gets up to 28 degrees in summer!
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Submitted by: Shonalanga
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The day started with a surf. The baitfish surrounded us in the line up, with predators smacking into them in front of our eyes. Dolphins offered up some entertainment riding some waves with us. After the surf, standing on the promontory of the idyllic Tofo Point…so many humpback whales could be seen steaming up and and around the place, any which way but south…each year the seem to be more and more and staying later and later. And they definitely looked like they were feeding – contrary to popular belief, on the acres of baitfish present.
Then the birds – terns, started to concentrate right off the point, acting very excited and behaving like they do when they are tracking billfish. Very intense movement, right on the surface, concentration glued to what they are following. And there it was. A beautiful three meter marlin comes belting out of the water in sheer excitement.
Amazing.
And then. Believe it or not… a huge whale shark comes ambling round the corner. And swims right through the line up! In amongst the surfers!
At the end of the beautiful day… a strike craft looking vessel, presumably part of the anti pirate and poacher brigade (although which side they are actually on can be hard to determine these days), came flying past at about 50knots! Very impressive!
It’s not always like this in Mozambique…but it is the beginning of the billfish season and it all looks good for the next few months!
