Latest news with #KwaZulu-NatalSharksBoardMaritimeCentreofExcellence
eNCA
6 days ago
- General
- eNCA
No swimming! 2025 KZN sardine run begins
JOHANNESBURG - Swimming will be banned in all southern beaches in KwaZulu-Natal as the 2025 Sardine Run has officially begun. This will see the removal of shark nets. According to the KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board Maritime Centre of Excellence, two netters were successful on Saturday, with a total of approximately 80 crates of sardines were netted at Port Edward. "One of the nets had 21 sharks caught; all of the sharks were released alive," the shark board said. The following day, on Sunday, the shark board says netters tried their luck at the Sandspit near Umzimkhulu river but again the sea was wild and only just over 40 crates of sardines were recovered. The board says of this morning o netters have been successful at Pennington and Rocky Bay. "These sardine shoals are still being accompanied by large shoals of over the weekend, the KZNSB teams launched and neutralised the gear from Port Edward in the south through to Scottburgh, and then on Monday, the gear was neutralised through to and including Isipingo," the shark board says.
![‘Greatest shoal on Earth': KZN Sardine Run brings massive shoals and sharks close to shore [VIDEOS]](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.citizen.co.za%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2025%2F06%2FKZN-Sardine-Run-brings-massive-shoals-and-sharks-close-to-shore.jpg&w=3840&q=100)
![‘Greatest shoal on Earth': KZN Sardine Run brings massive shoals and sharks close to shore [VIDEOS]](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.citizen.co.za%2Fassets%2Fimg%2Fcitizen-icon.png&w=48&q=75){kind=icon}
The Citizen
02-06-2025
- Sport
- The Citizen
‘Greatest shoal on Earth': KZN Sardine Run brings massive shoals and sharks close to shore [VIDEOS]
The annual sardine run has drawn massive shoals along KZN's coast, with sharks and dolphins joining the spectacle and beaches closed for public safety. An uncountable number of sardines have made their way from the Cape to the KwaZulu-Natal south coast, kickstarting the 'Greatest shoal on Earth'. The sardine run kicked off over the weekend. Millions of southern African pilchards, or sardines, migrate along the coast in massive shoals that extend for kilometres in winter in a phenomenon known as the Sardine Run. Sardine run kicks off on KZN south coast Alongside being an incredible sight in its own right, the movement draws in hungry marine predators such as dolphins, sharks, whales, seagulls, and game fish. The eThekwini Municipality has prohibited swimming at all southern beaches from Monday until further notice as a result of this. 'This is due to the removal of shark nets to allow for the sardine run,' the municipality said on social media. ALSO READ: Sardine fever now in overdrive KZN Sharks Board monitoring the run The sardine run is monitored by the KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board Maritime Centre of Excellence, which also removes shark protection gear before the run to allow the animals to roam freely. Wayne Harrison of the KZN Sharks Board said on Monday that over the weekend, the reports of sardine shoals off Port Edward prompted a netting operation despite rough sea conditions with large swells and strong currents. 'Two netters were successful on Saturday, and a total of approximately 80 crates of sardines were netted at Port Edward. One of the nets had 21 sharks caught; all of the sharks were released alive,' Harrison said in a statement on Facebook. Sunday's efforts at Sandspit yielded over 40 crates, but most sardines and some sharks were released back into the ocean, with shoals later moving to Pumula, where challenging conditions hampered netting. Harrison said on Monday that conditions had improved, allowing netters to successfully catch sardines at Pennington and Rocky Bay, with large shoals of sardines still accompanied by sharks. The board said over the weekend that its team neutralised gear from Port Edward to Isipingo, with no captures reported despite high shark activity, and bathing remains banned from Port Edward to Isipingo. NOW READ: Bathing banned at certain beaches as thousands of dolphins and birds follow sardines
