Sardine Run: The Great Feast

I don't think I have done a post on this although it is under my wildlife films tab at the top of the page. It is a film I put together whilst on my first visit to South Africa in 2009. I was fortunate enough to take a road trip from north of Cape Town on the west coast in Langebaan to the far east in Port St Johns. 

The goal was to go and see the sardine run that happens once a year when a cold finger of water from the Agulas current from the Antarctic brings nutrients up the east coast. This brings the sardines in. As the finger extends it narrows trapping the shoals close to land and eventually stops at a dead end. 

Sea predators from all over come for the feast ranging from great white sharks to gannets, from fur seals to orcas, and humpback whales to the rare brydes whale.

Orcas come not for the fish but the mammals who themselves are feasting. The pick off unsuspecting dolphin and fur seal. The other predators ignore each other and focus on the fish.

My film does not have orca or great whites unfortuanetly. There are no sharks in the film but I did see bronze whaler sharks and bull sharks. 

Cape gannets are the real stars diving from great heights.

The common dolphins work as a team herding the fish into a tight ball form which everyone feeds.

There is also a guest appearance from the brydes whale (pronounced brew-da).

I hope you like it, its a little shaky as its all handheld from a dingy.

Sardine Run: Port St.John, South Africa, June 2009