Searching for Sardines with The Sardine Airborne Unit

Searching for Sardines with The Sardine Airborne Unit

Taking to the skies in search of the sardines down Transkei way, thesardine.co.za team shot this rad video, of the trip from Margate Airport, to Port St. Johns and then around Mgazana and back home. Captain John Marshall provided the kite and the thrills – the landing strip experience at Port St. Johns features on the clip – overtaking a renegade VW Golf after negotiating a 200m cliff face, a troup of cows and the usual potholes we encounter in the Transkei.

What I am sure will impress surfing viewers, is the endless stream of right hand point breaks. Wave after wave, all turned on and cranking in the solid 3m ground swell. In fact, on the way back, in the middle of nowhere, a tow surf team was operating?! Wonders…a good 20kms into the Kei!

We flew over a number of whales, travelling in all directions, in groups of two or three, the odd solitary soul too.

Then the shoal of sardines appeared. Tightly packed and being marauded from all sides by dolphins and other predators. A tourist boat, presumably out of Port St. Johns, was close by, cameras rolling. There were many birds active at this spot, Lupitana, but as we went further south, the many birds were just sitting on the water, as if to be waiting. It did seem as though there must have been some sardine action in this area in the last day or so.

Enjoy…

The Sardine has teamed up with WOW and we might soon be offering sardine run trips from the air!

Sardines and Sightings

Check out our annual Sardine Run Map! Download our app to your phone or device, accept notifications, and you will never miss a single sardine.

Here are the links to existing and past  Sardine Sighting Maps…

2025 Sardine Map

2024 Sardine Map

2023 Sardine Map

2022 Sardine Map

2021 Sardine Map

Channels

Brucifire Surf Retorts – highly entertaining  surf reporting

Master Watermen – news from way down deep

The Sardine News – neva miss a single  sardine

FishBazaruto – 1000 pounds plus

MYDO Tackle Talk – highly technical  sport fishing

Surf Launching Southern Africa – getting out there safely

Water Woes – complain about your municipality