halocline Archives - The Sardine News

11 December 2024 Jumping Tides and Jumping Dorado w Adam Kamdar

Jumping Tides this 11 December 2024

Jumping Tides this 11 December 2024: welcome back to The Sardine News this absolutely perfect 11 December 2024. And it’s a jump tide (the tide moved forward about 2 hours last night) so we are back to idyllic low tide mornings. As we move towards an epic spring tide and full moon in a few days time. These are magnificent circumstances for all ocean activities. Plus the ocean and weather conditions look to remain stable right through to the next high pressures due after the weekend. When it will all turn around blowing hard from the northeast. And get HOT as hell!

We are starting real early with reports today following The Bear on his chosen path down south. On his ever-lasting quest for clean, fish-rich water that KZN Spearos dream about all year long.

Welcome to the Late Edition of The Sardine News…

Flat Seas Early by the Bear With Viz Report KZN South Coast 11 December 2024

It’s been an incredibly cool week weather-wise here in KZN. And it just looks to get better, with a light south-west wind forecast to breeze through sometime this morning. You can hear the excitement and stoke in The Bear’s voice in his report today. Can’t wait to see what the spearos come out with later.

Over to The Bear…

Surfing

That little rat swell is hardly gonna make it into Durban town beaches at all. Maybe on the north and south coasts, you might find something to surf. But it’s gonna be mainly all about holidaymakers and bathing today. The water is still clean and clear in KZN. The proper rains have not come yet and we look ok for the next week or so.

Get in while you can!

Plus, it is 24 degrees or more in some places today. There are some cooler pockets as per usual. Down to 22 or 23. But this 24 and 25 stuff is perfect gamefish sea temperature. The fish are not too lazy from either the water being to warm. Or too cold.

Fishing report coming up next…

Thanks to The Bear of The Master Watermen for the dive and surf reports.

Fishing

Adam Kamdar got lucky enough to get out to sea yesterday. And even more lucky he got when his rod screamed whilst trolling. And he found himself attached to this remarkable bull dorado.

Matching Dorado Kit Available at Township Hyper

Obviously this inspired Adam and crew to be out there again today…and…BANG! Early this very morning! Veer and Novi are the lucky crew members.

Veer Heeramum stands proud with his Durban Dorado this very morning

Novi and Veer out with Adam Kamdar this morning — Veer Heeramum stands proud with his Durban Dorado this very morning

Shad

The shad have realised the date and have gone into hiding. The beaches are dotted with anglers trying to find ’em. But those shad can be really fussy and they do not like warm water. They most likely have ventured out deeper in search of the cooler water that they are known to thrive in.

Couta

Now if you can find those shad out there, and snag a nice big one – put it out live for a decent shot at the wily king mackerel(couta in KZN) as they just come into season. The kayaker crew are leading the leader board with two medium-sized couta so far.

Martin DeJager South Coast KZN Dream Catch on Kayak early December 2024

And on the backline, we even have a November couta caught. By kayaker on the North Coast – Aldeen — Martin DeJager South Coast KZN Dream Catch on Kayak early December 2024

If you would like to be totally kitted to catch these big fish, MYDO Fishing Lures can rig you up. With special heavy-duty but stealthy MYDO Baitswimmer Gamefish Traces. They can swim a dead or a live-bait. And are adjustable regards depth.

And trace length. Got to hook up right – first time every time!

MYDO Telescopic Dropper Assembly Heavy Duty — MYDO Telescopic Dropper Assembly

MYDO StripBaitSwimmer dressed with sardine fillet and light blue mini skirt — MYDO Telescopic Dropper Assembly

You can browse all the MYDO products for targeting couta / king mackerel by clicking right HERE. And you can watch all tihngs MYDO, including how to rig your own, on our YouTube Channel. Click right HERE for that.

Estuary Halocline Hunting

Estuary Halocline Hunting – For International Fishing Pleasure – by MYDO Baitswimmers.

Unbelievably, the rains have stayed away and we are blessed with clean water and even clean estuaries here on the KZN South Coast at the moment.

Here we feature a classic sequence of the halocline (line between more salty and less salty water) moving down the river as the tide drains. And as luck would sometimes have it…as the halocline moves into the jetty area, the baitfish and prawns hiding there get given a proper hiding.

The tip is to find that halocline and work with it. Moving up the river with the pushing tide or the other way around. Tomorrow early we are going to be giving the estuary out front here a go. Stay posted to The Sardine News to see how it goes.

Synoptic Analysis

The synoptic chart is looking great again at the moment. That big dotted line across the middle is a weakening cold front. And you can tell by the way the contour lines are further apart in that area, that the ocean and wind out there are cool and calm.

Tropical Storm Chido is still lurking top right. You got to keep your eye on those two low pressures looking to dance together more closely.

But overall, this is a very healthy looking synoptic chart for today.

Mozambique Travel

Things are about the same as yesterday. BAD!

Traveling in Mozambique right now is NOT advised. Roadblock at Maimelane this morning already…pictured alongside.

Sadly, Fatima’s Nest in Tofo have had to cancel their annual Ocean Festival. Something that has held cultural importance for the Inhambane people for 14 Years straight!

Club of Mozambique report of a study in which 13 000 bookings have been cancelled due to political unrest in Gaza province alone. Many lodge owners have upped and left for their own safety.

This is an absolute disgrace that political bickering over votes, money and power can affect so many people so badly. To the core. So many livelihoods. It’s gonna be a bleak Xmas and New Year in Mozambleak this year for sure.

And our thoughts and good wishes are with everyone affected.

We will be back!

Sardines and Sighting Maps

It has been a fantastic sardine run this memorable 2024. And all the action has been logged right here on The Sardine News. This year’s map has been viewed 197,000 times and just keeps going.

Which led us to decide to keep the map live. And keep adding unique marine animal sightings and events. That occurs non-stop all year round. This year we started to log more whale and dolphin sightings. And we even had a shipwreck! And a freaking tornado! And recently a capsized KZNSB boat! We have been updating the map with recent catches too…

These events will from now on be included in the Sardine News Sightings Map for 2024. And on the 1 January 2025, we shall start all over again.

Here are the links to existing and past Sardine Sighting Maps. Great for a windy day like today to research. With instructions to install The Sardine News right on your phone or desktop.

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 here

Websites

umzimkulu.co.za – self-catering right on the Umzimkulu River
umzimkuluadrenalin.co.za – will get you right out and onto the edge
thesardine.co.za – never miss a single sardine
masterwatermen.co.za – news from under water
fishbazaruto.com – dreams
brucifire.co.za – surf retorts

The Halocline revisited with Professor Anthony Turton

The Halocline revisited with Professor Anthony Turton: ‘Halocline’ – the scientific name for the dirty-water-line that we all hate to love.

Sure it’s dirty and polluted nowadays. But it never used to be. Before humans started really breeding around here (for a political cause nonetheless), the brown water that came down in every flood, served its vital role, without the sewage and pollution of said humans.

The roles of the Halocline

As the halocline moves in and out of the estuary, on a macro scale due to the flood pulse – and on a micro scale when the tide pulse takes over in the dry season, it performs a multitude of roles.

Balances the PH of the ocean: in rainy season this large-scale operation by the halocline dumps thousands of tonnes of alkaline material into the ocean which importantly brings the acidity of the ocean back in line.
Biological triggers: as the halocline moves in and out of the estuary that it’s plume comes from, a multitude of marine species use this change to either spawn with or hunt to.
Structure: As Professor Turton elaborates, the ocean is vaste, and the halocline represents a huge change in environment when it accesses the ocean – fish come from afar to capitalise on this periodic staging.

So we are super-blessed to be here on the Kwazulu-Natal South Coast. And to be a part of this natural occurrence. Almost could be called a phenomenon. That happens non-stop right in front of our eyes. If not for the Professor, we would still be complaining about it!

Patrolling the halocline with umzimkuluadrenalin.co.za

Unfortunately, the halocline these days has a tarnished reputation. It has been smeared by the brush of the prevailing party. As sewage and other non-organic pollution is mercilessly sent down each and every river in South Africa, to the sea, this huge failing manifests itself in one of our greatest and most-loved resources…

The beach

All this organic and non-organic pollution is not simply dissolved away by the ocean. No chance. Counter-currents and wave action make sure that most of the solids end back on the beach. And the liquid pollution stays with itself as salt water is more dense and does not simply mix with the polluted water. No, that stays on top, where the visiting tourists get to enjoy it the most when they swim in the ocean.

This is how you get tepid estuaries and beaches that are completely unsafe to swim in. Sure, when the rains abate after having washed most of the evidence away, things get beautiful again. But for most of the year, the municipalities just easily win over the public. And pollution goes unchecked. And people get sick.

Water Tests

Are carried out by municipalities. But one day is most definitely not the same as the next. If you test one beach, by the time you publish those results, the composition of the water at those beaches will have changed.

Especially Durban where the nature of the beaches and the bay means that water circulates therein for ages before finally being discharged.

Do not believe anyone who says it is safe to swim in brown water. Especially if it’s government.

The real pandemic plaguing society is blind belief in authority. Question everything. From your municipality, to pharma, to corporate activities to any search result page on YouTube. Question it. And decide for yourself after processing as many pertinent facts as you can. Covid brought this fact out clearly for everyone to see.

“It is much easier to fool a man, than to convince him that he has been fooled.” – possibly Mark Twain

When it clears up and the brown water finally dissipates, check in with us here at Umzimkulu Adrenalin where we can safely get you out there and into the action.

Learn about more failed municipalities at Water Woes on YouTube.