Sardine spectacle a feast for east coast
THE sardine run is in full force off the east coast.
Thousands of dolphins were spotted indulging in the feeding frenzy off East London yesterday.
“We’ve been going out regularly and were absolutely amazed by how much activity there was out at sea today. It was unbelievable!
“There were so many dolphins and even more birds,” said Kathinka Heidkross-Barry, who operates Southern Cross Cruises with husband, John Barry.
She estimated that they saw 5 000 dolphins enjoying what has been dubbed “the greatest shoal on earth”.
The natural phenomenon sees the seasonal movement of sardines along the Eastern Cape coast towards the southern coast of KwaZulu-Natal during June and July. The sardines bring along a host of marine predators.
East London museum scientist Kevin Cole said that over the weekend thousands of gannets could be seen dive-bombing into the ocean off the Chintsa coast.
“The signs are definitely looking up this year and we can expect a great turnout,” enthused Cole.
In his talk at the Umtiza Arts Festival recently, Port St Johns photographer and Wild Coast guru John Costello explained to a full house at the East London museum that the winter tilt of the earth caused a shift in current, which moved entire shoals of pelagic fish from their breeding grounds off Cape Town and sent them eastwards along a sliver of current which collided with the coast off Port St Johns, where an entire orchestra of sea animals, and many divers, gathered to feed – and watch – the phenomenon. —