Sardine Run 2017

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

Storm Crystal

Registered
Messages
8
Reaction score
0
Location
Scottburgh, KZN
# of dives
I'm a Fish!
Prepare for what will undoubtedly be, the greatest
adventure of your life!

The ultimate Ocean Experience is waiting to unfold before your very eyes...

The trip consists of 3 days diving on the Aliwal Shoal, prior to leaving for the South Coast to dive the Sardine Run. Like any expedition, a dive trip of this magnitude required some preparation time. In these two days, we will make it our business to ensure you are fully prepared to embark on the adventure of a lifetime. You will arrive at the South Coast ready to dive, and having remedied any of those little diving related set-backs that we all know, can ruin a trip.

The Aliwal Shoal in itself, is enough to keep any diver happy. With numerous pristine dive sites spread across the 1.5km wide, 5km long shoal. The shoal is also home to over 1200 different species of fish, some of which are endemic to the shoal and found no where else in the world. Also making the Shoal their seasonal home, are a range of apex predators. Oceanic Black Tip, Grey Nurse and Tiger Sharks are three of the main attractions on our baited shark dives. Along with the sharks, you will also encounter dolphins, turtles, stingrays and a variety of smaller wonders of the sea.

You will then be transported to Port St. John's, where you will spend the next 6 days experiencing some of the best diving that the world has to offer. While diving the Sardine Run, we will be following dolphins, whales, seals, penguins, sharks and birds chasing bait balls formed by hundreds of thousands of sardines, red eye and anchovy. This phenomenal congregation of predators occurs annually from May to July.

We offer a boat based adventure for everyone, whether a diver or non-diver. All nature lovers, bird watchers, photography enthusiasts, dolphin and whale enthusiasts, snorkelers and scuba divers will thoroughly enjoy this incredible event of nature, which has been likened to the land based “Wildebeest migration of the Serengeti” and the marine equivalent of this has since been called....

“The Greatest Shoal on Earth”.
Take a minute to peruse the finer details of our sardine run package and book your spot today. join us for an experience of a lifetime in the most beautiful and scenic place of Port St. John’s, Wild Coast, Transkei, the gateway to magnificent the Sardine Run

c9e672_d81b345e396d4e42b5cb2de0374fc60a.png

Duration: 13-days / 12-nights Season: May, June and July only

Starts: Durban, South Africa Ends: Durban, South Africa

Dates: Contact us for availability

3-days (5 reef dives and 1 baited shark dive) at Aliwal Shoal

6-days Sardine Run diving Port St. John's, South Africa
 
I'm really interested in this trip. It sounds awesome. It is in the top of my bucket list. It may not be in 2017, as I already have other plan, but 2018 is a good possibility. I may bring it up to my dive club for a group trip like I did for next year, as shown here: One space on La Galigo Liveaboard to Banda & Raja Ampat in Nov 2017 with 15% discount

Please tell us more about type of diving experience there, such as level of experience (beginner, intermediate, or advance), water temperatures, visibility, etc. Is it mostly drift diving in fast current?

Thanks
Dan
 
Last edited:
Very interesting looking trip, I'm considering it.

Well desribed on Crystal Divers website and there is a detailed PDF about the trip Scuba Diving Aliwal Shoal.Crystal Divers South Africa. Not simple or cheap to get to Durban from Philadelphia. I would be a solo traveler, prices listed are ppdo
 
More recent video in 2016, at different angle, taken from sky, above & below sea surface:

 
It is one of the most magical experiences... There's all most too much to take in all at once. Can't wait for next year...

It's best to be at least a PADI advanced open water or equivalent qualification to get the most out of the trip because we plan a number of deep and wreck dives when you visit Aliwal Shoal.

Most dives here are drift dives and the current ranges, but generally it's nothing to hectic. We have to deal with what Mother Nature throws at us and 99% of the time it's pretty awesome. The visibility can range from 10-25+ meters. Water temp can range a little as it would be winter. Water would be around 18-24+ degree Celsius, but the colder water brings a lot of pelagic life. like whales and my favorite the Raggid tooth shark.

I'm going to post some videos and pictures shortly of what you can see and what the dives are like on this side of the world

Storm
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/peregrine/

Back
Top Bottom