An annual event along South Africa's eastern coastline in which vast shoals of sardines, sometimes stretching many kilometers long, move northward from the cool waters off the Cape toward KwaZulu-Natal, drawing a spectacular feeding frenzy of dolphins, sharks, gannets, seals and whales that has been called one of the greatest marine wildlife gatherings on the planet. The run depends on a narrow band of cold water hugging the coast, and its size and timing vary considerably from year to year with ocean conditions.
Facts
ScaleShoals often more than 7 km long, 1.5 km wide and 30 metres deep 1 First DescribedOldest known record: Natal Mercury newspaper, 4 August 1853 1 Partially Attested
PeriodicityAnnual, May through July, not every year 1 Occurs yearly from May through July, but in some years no run appears to happen. Connections
Associated With
Bait balls are a hallmark, extensively documented feature of the sardine run, forming as predators drive dense shoals of migrating sardines into tight defensive spheres near the surface.
Sources
1. Sardine run, Wikipedia
Timing section
The KwaZulu-Natal sardine run of southern Africa occurs from May through July
Description of shoals
The shoals are often more than 7 km long, 1.5 km wide and 30 metres deep and are clearly visible from spotter planes or from the surface.
History section
The oldest known record of the run is a mention in the Natal Mercury newspaper of 4 August 1853.
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