SARDINES on the KZN South Coast

SARDINES on the KZN South Coast

SARDINES on the KZN South Coast: these sardines have me on the edge of my seat!

Yesterday rumours were circulating already. And today many sporadic sightings have been reported. From lower KZN South Coast waters.

Advice is only to wait and see rather. Sardine Fever is mean stuff and you can easily find yourself chasing sardines from carpark to carpark in vain.

The sightings today have all been from far off. They actually could even be other baitfish like mackerel or red-eye sardines. So many guys out there are after clicks that you really need to question the validity of each post. However, with so many reported sightings on social, let’s just go with it!

First Shoal

These are then the sardines that Kevin in Qora spotted for us ten long days ago. It was a substantial shoal that was sighted. Big enough to get through the hordes of predators lying in ambush along the way. Who were already quite satiated with those early pilot shoals. That went through even before this first main shoal.

How far this first main shoal gets is gonna be interesting. But with the absolutely ideal water and weather conditions ahead of us, more big shoals are sure to follow along smartly.

The KZN South Coast would be the perfect place to be if you want to see sardines this year. The rivers have been swept clean by the recent floods induced by that foul cut-off low storm system recently. Good for something!

Hotspots

Sardines love Port Edward. And it is so easy. Beyond Port Edward the main road turns inland and the beaches are a long drive each time. Port Edward has grand-stand seats to the sardine run. With a well laid out promenade with ample parking and viewing sites. The sardines often beach at Port Edward. And most years this is where the first nets will be going in.

But that ain’t no guarantee! Sardines do make up their own minds and sometimes the first shoals will skip Port Edward and bounce over to beautiful Glenmore Beach. Trafalgar. All the way up to Margate, there are so many lush spots to gain a vantage from.

Margate has had it’s pipes cleaned a number of times lately and hopefully with this recent flush, the ANC or the MK or whoever, can do a proper job of the stormwater systems this time. Sardines do not like dirty water. But at the moment Margate is clean and it would be safe to visit there. For sardines, and for people.

Forecast

North of this Lower South Coast stretch is going to be a tough call. Perhaps a few of those early little pilot shoals survived out deep. And they might pop in to the coast and catch us all by surprise.

You can get a real feel of the sardine run and how it unfolds each year at the following links to the relevant Sardine Sightings Maps.

2024

2023

2022

Please consider heading on over to our YouTube Channel where we break The Sardine News first.

Sardines are Surfers

The hectic ocean swell from the southeast has backed right off. And looks to be turning to a south swell. And as we all know – Sardines are Surfers. And they will be capitalising on any pulse they can. Sardines on the KZN South Coast 7 June 2024.

The Sardine News on YouTube.