The highly anticipated Sardine Run is here! The spectacular silver tide has finally hit KZN shores, but so have the other big fish, so while it’s exciting times for fishing enthusiasts, swimming remains banned at 25 local beaches.
KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa (05 June 2025) – The ocean’s silver tide has finally hit KwaZulu-Natal shores, and with it, the mayhem of nature’s most exciting marine migration!
All along the shores spanning from Port Edward to Amanzimtoti, sardines have been washing into the coast, bringing with them sharks, seabirds and stunned spectators.
Fishermen, seasoned and not-so-much, have been filling their nets with the long-awaited silver fishies who were reported to have first hit shores over the weekend in Port Edward despite rough sea conditions.
According to the KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board Maritime Centre of Excellence, netters attempted to net the sardines past the backline and draw them into the surf zone; however, they had tremendous difficulty due to the large seas, strong currents, and abundance of sharks.
“Two netters were successful on Saturday (31 May), 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,” the Sharks KZN Board’s, Wayne Harrison said.
On Sunday, netting took place at Sandspit, on the Umzimkhulu River. Due to the large surf and challenging conditions, only just over 40 crates of sardines were recovered, and the rest were released back into the ocean, along with several sharks that were caught in the net.
By mid-morning, the shoals had moved to the Banana Beach/Pumula area, where the sein netters braved the high seas again. The sardines were once more followed by masses of sharks, which were regularly seen breaching and feeding on the sardines.
A video showing sharks netted together with the sardines during the sardine nettings depicted a typical illustration of the increased shark activity witnessed during the sardine run.
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“We remind residents and visitors that our shark safety gear has been removed from the South Coast beaches of KZN, from Isipingo to Port Edward, and warn against swimming in those beaches,” Harrison explained.
It’s exciting times, but safety still remains a priority, folks. Swimming remains banned from Port Edward to Isipingo beaches until further notice.
Sources: KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board Maritime Centre of Excellence
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