Brilliant start to Sardine Run 2021
By Lloyd Edwards

The Greatest Marine Wilderness in Africa is living up to its reputation, with one of the best starts to the sardine run seen in many years. It seems like it is not only Algoa Bay that is experiencing a huge amount of baitfish, but many other places up and down our coastline.

 

So why does Algoa Bay have so many sardines and anchovies one may ask? The main reason is the strong easterly winds that blew a few weeks ago. This led to the upwelling of cold water and its associated nutrients and spores. The spores hatched and this phytoplankton fed the zooplankton which in turn attracted the fish and thus the apex predators. This cold water is trapped in the bay which in turn keeps the fish here.

 

One of the supreme apex predators is the Bryde’s whale which can be seen in the attached images. These whales are seldom observed by the untrained eye unless they are feeding. They follow the common dolphins until the dolphins have corralled the fish into a “bait ball”. They strike from below taking a massive mouthful of fish and anything else that gets in the way!