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Sardines Analysis: in-depth with Windy.com #sardinerun2025 #sardinemigration

Sardines Analysis 28 May 2025 with Windy

Sardines Analysis: in-depth with Windy.com #sardinerun2025 #sardinemigration

Sardines Analysis: in-depth with Windy.com: our meteorological partner – Windy.com – are endowed with a set of tools that make detailed analyses of what is going on with the sardines this year, so much more fun!

Weather

Let’s start with the weather…we have another whole week of low-pressure systems battling it out with any high-pressures they can find. And that big high off Durban (lives there most of the time) has been doing a great job fending off the cold fronts so far. But this next week has a lot of red and orange in it. And many, many close-together lines on the charts. These close-together lines mean big swell is on the way. And the prevailing low-pressures will produce nice big rolling swells from the south (just like the sardines like it) painted with an early morning offshore, delivered with coffee each day.

Sardines Analysis with Windy.com
Sardines Analysis with Windy.com

Currents

The ocean currents analysis from Windy.com tells a few secrets. You can clearly see that the normal straight-driving Agulhas Current has lost attention and is now meandering all over the place. Looks like it is trying to avoid potholes. It’s causing vortexes and counter currents in all the weirdest places. There are two easily identifiable warm-water barriers playing havoc with the already panicked sardines. Of which there are plenty. In that slightly colder patch from Coffee Bay to Port St Johns, there are pilot shoals. And some much bigger shoals coming up behind them. South of that, however, is warm water right to the coastline. And this extends right past Kevin in Qora towards Kei Mouth and Morgans Bay. Then it gets cold again and this is the water in which the GoDive operators are having so much fun. Further south, there is another warm water barrier that might be keeping some of the sardines down there for longer than they would like.

Sardines Analysis with Windy.com - currents and sea temps.
Is the Agulhas trying to avoid the KZN potholes or what? You can see where it veers out to sea from about Port Shepstone and then back in again at Kevin in Qora, bouncing off from there and making contact with land again at Port Alfred.

A huge thank you to Windy.com! And to all of our readers here on The Sardine News.

And as per programme…Adam on the ball in the Township Hyper Crows Nest, this early morning…

Sardines and Sightings

Join the Sardine News HOTLINE for 2025 and Neva Miss a Single Sardine! We first upload to YouTube, and then progressively up to the rest of the social platforms (Facey, X, etc) as the bandwidth allows.

CLICK HERE TO JOIN as a Member on YouTube, and receive all these perks too…

Member of WhatsApp Sardine News HOTLINE, access to restricted content on thesardine.co.za, LIVE Broadcasts from the Beach during the sardine run. And direct contact with the Sardine Spy network team.

You can also get around the season in a real fun way by checking out our annual Sardine Run Maps. This is a real groovy way to follow the progress of the sardines each year.

You can even 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

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Elton of GoDive Sardine Baitball Report from Cintsa #sardinerun2025 #sardinemigration #sardine #news

Sardine Baitball by Nicolene Olckers

Elton of GoDive Sardine Baitball Report from Cintsa #sardinerun2025 #sardinemigration #sardine #news

Elton of GoDive Sardine Baitball Report from Cintsa #sardinerun2025 #sardinemigration #sardine #news :another crisp wintery morning down here in southern KZN. The offshore winds are blowing daily and this whole week is dominated mainly by south systems swinging across the country. Causing this offshore drift of air every morning – you can see the smoke from bush fires, cane fires and people whisping out over the sea. Makes for spectacular sunrises and seascapes.

We have a gentle southwesterly blowing later this morning, aiming to top out at around 12 to 15 knots as it takes over from the offshore from about low tide onwards. Later in the day, as the tide pushes in, the wind will swing even further to the east to become a proper onshore.

The ocean recovers really fast in this place at this time of the year. And often a bit of east in the afternoon will pull the prevailing SSW swell into the bays and coves for surfing for the next morning. Many nuances in the atmosphere are at play right now that produce these perfect conditions.

Meanwhile, down south in Cintsa…sardine baitball report by Elton…

all the fish and more fish and more fish and more fish
Hey morning just an update from
Cintsa uh week 4 has just kicked off
yesterday was a little bit quiet
didn’t really find much at all um
and then today all of a sudden in the cold
wet windy um
weather there was there’s quite a lot of action
right from in front of Cintsa in the bay
20 meters deep water nice clear water uh
lots of sardines lots of gannets
and then
some of the videos are also from the East London side
so
one of the boats went all the way down to East London
found great action in front there yeah
the other boats in Cintsa
all the clients on both boats are in the water
at the moment uh
I think um
the last update I heard is that the
one boats
on their third or fourth bait ball for the morning
yeah and they only launched at 8:00 so it’s really
really good conditions at the moment
lots of sardines coming through
lots of gannets
lots of dolphins and I will update further when uh
when I hear more
wow guys it’s bait fish all over the place
Mike
Mike
Mike
Mike
Mike
Mike
Mike
Mike
Mike
Mike
Mike
Mike

Sardines and Sightings

Join the Sardine News HOTLINE for 2025 and Neva Miss a Single Sardine! We first upload to YouTube, and then progressively up to the rest of the social platforms (Facey, X, etc) as the bandwidth allows.

CLICK HERE TO JOIN as a Member on YouTube, and receive all these perks too…

Member of WhatsApp Sardine News HOTLINE, access to restricted content on thesardine.co.za, LIVE Broadcasts from the Beach during the sardine run. And direct contact with the Sardine Spy network team.

You can also get around the season in a real fun way by checking out our annual Sardine Run Maps. This is a real groovy way to follow the progress of the sardines each year.

You can even 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

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SARDINES in the TRANSKEI, UFOs, KZN Conditions and more aerial surveillance

UFOs vs Sardines

SARDINES in the TRANSKEI, UFOs, KZN Conditions and more aerial surveillance

SARDINES in the TRANSKEI, UFOs, KZN Conditions and more aerial surveillance: it wasn’t only us that got caught by sardine surprise today. The gannets also hit a miss and were nowhere to be seen. A rare occurrence given that the gannets absoliuteoy live for these tasty fishies.

“Well that sure looks like sardines to me
thank you very much to the okes who sent that in
so we
I chat it to the Bear and he verifies that conditions
etcetera
and the Kevin says he’s quite convinced as well
so we decided to give it a stamp of approval
and
say that there are definitely sardines in the Transkei
Umtata Mouth and they’re definitely moving north
I don’t know how come the gannets lost them
ha ha ha they’re gonna find them later today
it’s gonna be a bit of a show boy OK
lekker thank you
don’t forget to like and subscribe and join the channel
if you want to get this information first
because it already has gone to the Sardine HOTLINE
and then it goes to YouTube members
then goes to Youtubers
and then it goes to the other platforms
as we can upload so very big mission alright
but thank you very much for watching Ciao Ciao”

UFOs vs Sardines

UFOs vs. Sardines: Well, there has been zero news from the sardine spy network since Kevin was tracking a large shoal on its way to Hole in the Wall and Port St Johns from his base in the very southern Transkei.

Aerial contributor Rogan Brent was up in the air in that area all day yesterday and here are the fruits of his efforts.

Mgazana Aerial Gallery by Rogan Brent

Sardines and Sightings

Join the Sardine News HOTLINE
Join the Sardine News HOTLINE

Join the Sardine News HOTLINE for 2025 and Neva Miss a Single Sardine! We first upload to YouTube, and then progressively up to the rest of the social platforms (Facey, X, etc) as the bandwidth allows.

CLICK HERE TO JOIN as a Member on YouTube, and receive all these perks too…

Member of WhatsApp Sardine News HOTLINE, access to restricted content on thesardine.co.za, LIVE Broadcasts from the Beach during the sardine run. And direct contact with the Sardine Spy network team.

You can also get around the season in a real fun way by checking out our annual Sardine Run Maps. This is a real groovy way to follow the progress of the sardines each year.

You can even 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

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Kevin in Qora Sardine Report w GoDive Video TODAY #sardinerun2025 #sardinemigration #godive

Qora Sardine Report and Windy.com Partnership

Kevin in Qora Sardine Report w GoDive Video TODAY #sardinerun2025 #sardinemigration #godive

Kevin in Qora Sardine Report w GoDive Video TODAY: Another blustery winters day here in KZN and the Eastern Cape. Where we are receiving news and reports of huge shoals of sardines heading our way.

This is quick compilation of this weeks confirmed sardine sightings, right up to 09h30 this morning with video from the boat by the GoDive Operators in the Cintsa area.

This video also announces our brand new meteorological partnership with Windy.com!

And then a few hours later…

Kevin in Qora Sardine Report w GoDive Video TODAY #sardinerun2025 #sardinemigration #godive

Sardine Aficianado and Transkei Local Kevin Touhy has been our go-to-guy for early sardine sightings for years now. Kevin has been rather reserved about joining the frey and succumbing to sardine fever. But today he relinquishes what with all the reports that came in this week. And now today, the GoDive team have found their second bait ball as of this report. Their clients are in the water and the video material from their boats was used in the making up of most of of this report. Thank You GoDive!

MORE!

Sardines and Sightings

Join the Sardine News HOTLINE
Join the Sardine News HOTLINE

Join the Sardine News HOTLINE for 2025 and Neva Miss a Single Sardine! We first upload to YouTube, and then progressively up to the rest of the social platforms (Facey, X, etc) as the bandwidth allows.

CLICK HERE TO JOIN as a Member on YouTube, and receive all these perks too…

Member of WhatsApp Sardine News HOTLINE, access to restricted content on thesardine.co.za, LIVE Broadcasts from the Beach during the sardine run. And direct contact with the Sardine Spy network team.

You can also get around the season in a real fun way by checking out our annual Sardine Run Maps. This is a real groovy way to follow the progress of the sardines each year.

You can even 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

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North Coast From The Air by Rogan Brent

North Coast from Air by Rogan Brent

North Coast From The Air by Rogan Brent

North Coast From The Air by Rogan Brent: I was at school with a particularly mischievous chap going by the name of Rogan Brent. And he recently contacted me about contributing some aerial video footage of his beat – the north coast of KZN. We are so stoked that he did!

Enjoy the north coast in all her beauty…and thank you Rogan!


“I can’t believe you pulled a stunt like this
I was so shocked and amazed unbelievable
yes I never yes
very well thank you Rogan wow
so
so we’re live from the air
that’s the first for me we’re live from the air man
that’s the first for me
heading for Tugela ha ha ha ha as
how’s the traffic hey
$%(&^ all now it’s quiet
OK now we talk to each other
we are in controlled airspace here
OK great Rogan unbelievable
unbelievable lekka
thank you lekka to be in touch with you buddy
you too Rogan
and thank you very much for making the effort
this morning I’m using that now
lekka dude
okay take it easy bro
Ciao Rogan
ha ha ha ha ciao buddy
thank you Rogan OK
here
we got Adam in the morning with a radical time lapse
very cool stuff
then we going down to Roosta on the south coast
couple of waves there
then we gonna go and check out the Block
see what’s going on
looks quite lekker
and then he has the Umzimkulu in the afternoon
looking quite cool we caught a nice perch last night
I must get the photo for you still okay
the fishing’s not too bad
here’s a whole bunch of fish ous been catching
the conditions are good
especially on the north coast yowzer
but it is cleaning up here on the south coast
and ous are catching the odd shad
the shad have not gone mad
there are some kob around as you can see
ah we got a stop press situation
Rogan has just sent some more footage in for us
right from the air he’s flying there right now
this is incredible stuff Rogan and Noel
thank you guys both for taking us
for taking this seriously
and sending us this aerial footage
thank you Rogan
we’re gonna play out with your stuff too thank you
and all in all the next few days are gonna be real good
so it matters just enjoy if you can
if you can get out there you can best get out there
but it even looks good
through to the weekend and beyond
there’s no more there’s the next cold
front miles away okay
don’t forget to like and subscribe
join the channel
if you want to catch those sardines out
this year you might see there’s no sardine news here
I’m just waiting for the GoDive Okes to report in
Kevin in Qora I got his eyes peeled on the horizon
too okay
check back soon Ciao Ciao”

Sardines and Sightings

Join the Sardine News HOTLINE for 2025 and Neva Miss a Single Sardine! We first upload to YouTube, and then progressively up to the rest of the social platforms (Facey, X, etc) as the bandwidth allows.

CLICK HERE TO JOIN as a Member on YouTube, and receive all these perks too…

Member of WhatsApp Sardine News HOTLINE, access to restricted content on thesardine.co.za, LIVE Broadcasts from the Beach during the sardine run. And direct contact with the Sardine Spy network team.

You can also get around the season in a real fun way by checking out our annual Sardine Run Maps. This is a real groovy way to follow the progress of the sardines each year.

You can even 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 – log your municipalities transgressions here

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