Sardine Run

Not a fixed reef but a moving feeding frenzy. Each winter the cold Benguela counter current pushes a tongue of sub-21°C water up the coast, and billions of Southern African pilchard migrate northeast from the Eastern Cape along the Wild Coast into southern KwaZulu-Natal. Pods of up to 18,000 common dolphins herd the fish into bait balls 10–20 m wide, which copper (bronze whaler) sharks, Bryde's whales and dive bombing Cape gannets shred within minutes. Divers and snorkellers drop into open blue water alongside a ball as it forms — spotter planes radio the boats onto the action, and most balls hold for under ten minutes. Surf launches, surge and cold green water make this a demanding expedition, run mainly in June and July.