The Sardine Run 2025 is actually Starting Already
The Sardine Run 2025 is actually Starting Already: There is a lot going on out in the ocean off KZN right now. Mainly, the powerful Agulhas Current has surged in volume and velocity and is currently hurtling down the KZN seaboard. Coming in right close to shore. Cranking the sea temperature right up to 26 and more.
This Agulhas Current (aka Mozambican Current), brings the summer gamefish. Who gather at the halocline in numbers between the stark blue, and the nutrient-rich brown. Brown water that has seasonally flowed out of the last few functioning estuaries we have left in KZN. This water carries nutrients. Feeding all the reef systems out and into the prevailing Agulhas’ path. And alkaline sediment. That vitally balances the ocean of its ever-increasing acidity levels.
But relevant to sardines, this is when the Natal Pulse phenomena start to form. In the bottom left image below, there is a fine example of a whirlpool-looking piece of Agulhas Current that has encountered the continental shelf where it sticks further out – towards the north of Durban. And has formed its own vibe. There is a smaller one dissipating further south off East London if you look hard. This shelf off Durban extends far offshore—many miles. As the Agulhas plunges into this huge underwater promontory, these are the weird kind of things that start to happen.
Much like the edges of a river, you start getting counter-currents and whirlpools. That are held in place by the opposing current and hard land. Eventually, something gives and one of these bodies of water breaks away from the main Agulhas Current body.
This “pulse” meanders down on the outside/underneath of the main Agulhas Current, and heads for the Agulhas Banks. Slowly. Where the sardines are forming up! Where they are enjoying their cold water environment. They live in 14 to 17 degrees or so ideally. Now this huge circling piece of warm Agulhas Current is heading straight for them and their cold water paradise.
It reaches the Agulhas Banks. And this big unruly piece of water starts to react with the prevailing cold water. Eventually, one of these “Natal Pulses” (about three per year are recorded on average) successfully breaks off a huge piece of this cold water -dissecting it away from the cold southern Indian Ocean.
This pocket of water is pushed up and towards the land, and becomes the strong Agulhas counter-current. That starts off the southern Cape each winter. And this water is full of sardines. About 10% of the total sardine population of the Agulhas Banks is trapped in it. They think they are travelling north-west, up the West Coast to Namibia, to spawn. But they are stuck heading northeast now! In a counter-current heading up along the inside of the Agulhas stream. To KZN and then to nowhere after that.
For none of these sardines survive the annual sardine run – that they have now become.
They all get devoured by the waiting predators as the cold piece of water they are travelling meanders up to KZN. The Greatest Shoal on Earth. This counter-current eventually displaces the seasonal weakened Agulhas Current. And forces that warm water torrent back out to sea. To start the process all over again in summer.
Caveat: It may not be totally correct to state that the Sardine Run 2025 has begun. Since actually, the sardine runs never stop preparing and forming up each and every year.
And then…
No Sardines
Sometimes, these two or three annual “Natal Pulses” that pop off and cause all the chaos, don’t quite get it right. And this is when we have the sardine run no-shows. People do forget, but for a few years recently, there were no sardines at all. Perceptions and opinions were formed about the sardines being gone. A valid fear. Luckily so far it seems that the Agulhas Bank population of sardines is healthy enough. And has seemed sustainable for the decades of harvesting they have been going through. In order to achieve their life’s goal and wind up in your supermarket trolley – in a can.
But ok, here’s cheering to a fantastic Sardine Run 2025!
To experience this show first hand – get in touch with me Sean on umzimkulu@gmail.com or on +27793269671. Or use the big old WhatsApp button floating around on this page somewhere. Many options available.
Sardines and Sighting Maps
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
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
