{"id":223682,"date":"2022-05-05T03:15:51","date_gmt":"2022-05-05T01:15:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mypr.co.za\/?p=115376"},"modified":"2022-05-05T03:15:51","modified_gmt":"2022-05-05T01:15:51","slug":"the-countdown-begins-to-the-greatest-ocean-spectacle-along-the-kzn-south-coast","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/the-countdown-begins-to-the-greatest-ocean-spectacle-along-the-kzn-south-coast\/","title":{"rendered":"The Countdown Begins To The Greatest Ocean Spectacle Along The KZN South Coast"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"scaip scaip-1 \">\n<aside id=\"republication_tracker_tool-2\" class=\"republication_tracker_tool clearfix\">\n<h5 class=\"adtitle\">Republish for Free<\/h5>\n<div class=\"license\">\n<p><button name=\"Republish This Story\" id=\"cc-btn\" class=\"republication-tracker-tool-button\">Republish This Story<\/button><\/p>\n<p><a class=\"license\" rel=\"noreferrer license noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nd\/4.0\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Creative Commons License\" class=\"lazyload\" src=\"http:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/the-countdown-begins-to-the-greatest-ocean-spectacle-along-the-kzn-south-coast.png\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Creative Commons License\" src=\"http:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/the-countdown-begins-to-the-greatest-ocean-spectacle-along-the-kzn-south-coast.png\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"message\">\n<p>Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<\/aside>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/mypr.co.za\/?attachment_id=115377\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt width=\"300\" height=\"200\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-115377 size-thumbnail lazyload\" src=\"http:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/the-countdown-begins-to-the-greatest-ocean-spectacle-along-the-kzn-south-coast.jpg\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-115377 size-thumbnail\" src=\"http:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/the-countdown-begins-to-the-greatest-ocean-spectacle-along-the-kzn-south-coast.jpg\" alt width=\"300\" height=\"200\">The winter months along the KZN South Coast bring with them sunny days, incredible ocean conditions, and the greatest shoal on earth \u2013 the Sardine Run! This subtropical paradise provides seaside visitors with front-row seats to this world-renowned spectacle that features billions of sardines followed in hot pursuit by marine life in all shapes and sizes.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Sardine Run is a highlight on the KZN South Coast\u2019s tourism calendar, and we\u2019re looking forward to welcoming visitors who can finally experience this natural display after two years in lockdown and the devastating recent floods,\u201d said CEO of Ugu South Coast Tourism (USCT), Phelisa Mangcu. \u201cWhether from the land, the sea or the sky, we have the best viewpoints for our many visitors who are looking for a really unique family-friendly holiday.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Always keeping a close eye on the sardine action is Dr Ryan Daly of the Oceanographic Research Institute in Durban, and the South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity. Commenting on this year\u2019s Sardine Run, Daly said conditions are set for it to, hopefully, be another bumper year.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat we know about the sardines so far is that there appears to be a lot in the Western Cape with sightings in the Plettenberg Bay area,\u201d said Daily. \u201cWe know they\u2019re down in the Cape, the question is will they come up here?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Although recent floods in KZN caused a surge in water and debris into the Indian Ocean, Daly said the impact on the ocean has largely passed, and it shouldn\u2019t impact the Sardine Run which is expected to arrive around May.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTemperature is the main thing that dictates the timing and extent of the movement up the coast. It has been an unusual couple of years in that they\u2019ve been very wet. But 2020 and 2021 were relatively good Sardine Runs, both of which were similarly wet being La Ni\u00f1a years. It\u2019s holding the same pattern, so I think we\u2019re going to get another good one. But we\u2019ll have to wait and see!\u201d<br \/>Greg Thompson, operations manager at the KZN Sharks Board, said they would start their Sardine Run monitoring in the second week of May.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur first few flights are normally through to East London to try and gauge how far north the sardines have moved,\u201d explained Thompson. \u201cThis is to ensure that our shark safety gear is removed well before the first pockets reach KZN waters.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAs we all know it\u2019s fairly easy to monitor large quantities of sardines with associated predators in pursuit, but the small pilot shoals that pop up out of nowhere can be a challenge. Therefore, we also rely on the information and sightings we receive from the residents, fisherman and dive charters in the Eastern Cape. Let\u2019s hope we are in for another bumper year of sardine fever!\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>What is the #SardineRun?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The Sardine Run is an incredible annual phenomenon, believed to be the planet\u2019s biggest biomass migration. Billions of these silver fish move northwards towards warmer waters, swimming past the KZN South Coast from May. The shoal comes incredibly close to shore, attracting anglers and seine net fishermen who capture the fish for commercial sale.<\/p>\n<p>But beyond the human interest in these fish, the Sardine Run provides many marine animals with a wholesome meal. Flocks of seabirds \u2013 cormorants, gulls and terns \u2013 can be seen diving into the waters, while dolphins, game fish and even whales feast on the salty fish. Sharks \u2013 copper, dusky, blacktip and spinner \u2013 also join in the feast, making this one of the best marine viewing opportunities.<\/p>\n<p>Visitors to the KZN South Coast can enjoy the show from the shoreline if preferred. Those looking for more of a close-up experience can charter a boat out to see, and even scuba dive or free dive with local tour guides. The view is impressive from the skies with local microlight operators taking tourists on viewing trips.<\/p>\n<p>This is also when the annual whale migration gets underway \u2013 another epic ocean experience. Watch as the humpback and southern right whales head northwards towards Mozambique from the seaside or from the many whale decks at Umtentweni Conservancy Whale Deck, Ramsgate Whale Deck, Impithi Beach Kiosk, and Umdoni Golf Club Whale Deck.<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s so much to \u2018sea and do\u2019 on the KZN South Coast<\/p>\n<p>The Sardine Run is just one of the exciting attractions to the Paradise of the Zulu Kingdom. Visitors are spoilt for choice in this natural haven that boasts a number of family-friendly, outdoor activities.<\/p>\n<p><strong>These include:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u2022 Boating or diving adventures at two world-renowned dive sites, Aliwal Shoal and Protea Banks;<br \/>\u2022 Blue Flag Beaches for swimming, snorkelling, rock pool exploring, surfing, kayaking and more;<br \/>\u2022 Deep-sea fishing or rock-and-surf angling in some of the best spots;<br \/>\u2022 Tidal pools for protected bathing;<br \/>\u2022 Rickshaw Rides\u2019 along the Margate beachfront;<br \/>\u2022 Incredible golfing at any of the 11 golf courses;<br \/>\u2022 Trail hiking, biking, and 4\u00d74 adventures in the hinterland;<br \/>\u2022 Extreme adventures including gorge swinging, ziplining, white-water rafting and abseiling;<br \/>\u2022 Authentic rural excursions at KwaXolo Caves Adventures, the KwaNzimakwe Multi-Trails, the Nyandezulu Experience and Ntelezi Msani Heritage Centre;<br \/>\u2022 A farmland experience on the KZN South Coast Agri-CULTURE Tours;<br \/>\u2022 View the Mzamba fossils in the Petrified Forest; and<br \/>\u2022 Unmatched birdwatching including a visit to the Oribi Vulture Viewing Hide;<br \/>\u2026 and many more!<\/p>\n<p>To keep updated on the Sardine Run, download the free \u2018Explore KZN South Coast\u2019 app from Google Play and Apple stores, check out \u2018South Coast Tourism\u2019 on Facebook or YouTube, @infosouthcoast on Twitter or Instagram, or \u2018Info Ugu South Coast Tourism\u2019 on LinkedIn.<\/p>\n<p>Follow the hashtags #seaanddo #greatestshoalonearth #sardinerun #subtropicalparadise #kznsouthcoast. Visit www.visitkznsouthcoast.co.za for more information on tourism offerings.<\/p>\n<p>For access to all previous USCT press releases, please visit: https:\/\/www.visitkznsouthcoast.co.za\/category\/press-release\/<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/mypr.co.za\/contact\/featured\/\">CLICK HERE to submit your press release to MyPR.co.za<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p> <span class=\"post-views-icon dashicons dashicons-chart-bar\"><\/span> <span class=\"post-views-label\">Press Release Views:<\/span> <span class=\"post-views-count\">137<\/span> <\/p>\n<div class=\"entry-pagination pagination\">Pages: <span class=\"post-page-numbers current\"><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Page <\/span>1<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/mypr.co.za\/the-countdown-begins-to-the-greatest-ocean-spectacle-along-the-kzn-south-coast\/2\/\" class=\"post-page-numbers\"><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Page <\/span>2<\/a><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/mypr.co.za\">Source: MyPR.co.za<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Republish for Free Republish This Story Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license. The winter months along the KZN South Coast bring with them sunny days, incredible ocean conditions, and the greatest shoal on earth \u2013 the Sardine Run! This subtropical paradise provides seaside visitors with front-row seats [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":223683,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[9021],"tags":[3257],"class_list":{"0":"post-223682","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-mypr","8":"tag-mypr","9":"entry"},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/the-countdown-begins-to-the-greatest-ocean-spectacle-along-the-kzn-south-coast.png","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/223682","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=223682"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/223682\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/223683"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=223682"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=223682"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.myza.co.za\/press\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=223682"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}