UPCOMING EXPEDITIONS
UPCOMING EXPEDITION
“It’s my most incredible experience as a filmmaker; I’d do it again, and again,
and again.”
– Chris Santella, Fifty Places to Dive Before you Die
“For divers, filmmakers and photographers who have experienced the heart-stopping fracas of the annual Sardine Run, no other dive comes close.”
– National Geographic, 100 Dives of a Lifetime
Once a year, billions of Sardines migrate up the east coast of South Africa to spawn. Following a cool counter-current, they are constantly chased and ambushed by an army of marine predators.
A completely natural and often unpredictable event that requires the alignment of several natural forces, this is what adventure diving is all about. Nothing can be guaranteed, but when it all comes together, the opportunities to experience marine wildlife can be life-altering.
On our expeditions we spend six days at sea, using all our knowledge and experience of the animals and area to maximise chances of engaging Sardine shoals. Then it’s an underwater opera of birds, dolphins, sharks and whales all working together to feed.
Common Dolphins are common, and we sometimes also see Bottlenosed Dolphins and even shy Humpbacked Dolphins nearer to the shore.
Several shark species are in on the action as well, with Coppers (Bronze Whalers) and Duskies most common.
Cape Fur Seals and many kinds of game fish are never far away, and there can be few things as majestic as witnessing a Brydes Whale engulfing an entire bait ball in a single gulp.
Even on quiet days there is always plenty of action, with many of the predators still scouting around for fish, like us.
During this time of year, migrating groups of Humpback Whales are experienced daily – either in the water, or breaching, tail-slapping and spy-hopping just metres away from the boat. Southern Right and Minke Whales can also be occasionally seen.
Bird-wise, this part of the coast is a paradise, with dozens of species spotted on each trip, including African Penguin, Cape Gannet, various Cormorants, Yellow-nosed Indian Albatross, Sub-Antarctic Skua and different kinds of Petrels. From the shore at our base in Chintsa, you may also see Trumpeter Hornbill, Woodhoopoe, various Kingfishers and Goliath Heron.
Chintsa is a beautiful location and gives us an effective range of some 100 km of the South African Wild Coast to explore, from East London in the west to the Kei River in the east. The Chintsa area was also carefully chosen for being one of the first places where humans can encounter fish on the Sardine Run, so numbers have not yet been decimated, and predators are still hungry.
Our home for the week is the charismatic Buccaneer’s Lodge on the Chintsa River mouth, where Sean and Sal accommodate us in en-suite rooms with sweeping sea and river views. Sal is quite a chef, too – and a generous one.
Each morning you’ll be greeted by a hot breakfast, catering to your personal dietary requirements. There’s tea, coffee and a packed lunch at sea, and then a buffet-style dinner to be enjoyed while watching the day fade over the ocean.
Should the group require a rest day (or the conditions demand one) there are a number of local activities on offer and included in our package – favourites being to take a guided nature walk with a local ecologist, or to visit a nearby micro-brewery for a tasting and lunch.
Rates
Per person sharing:
Was £2,550. Now £2,250Single room:
Was £2,750. Now £2,450Included: Accommodation, all meals and snacks in Chintsa (catered to personal dietary requirements), transfers, boats, guides, cylinders and weights, most rest day activities.
Excluded: Flights, alcohol, dive equipment other than weights and tanks (although this can be rented), gratuities, mandatory travel and diving insurance.
Please note
The Sardine Run is a natural and, therefore, unpredictable event. Our experience over the past twelve years will help maximise chances of finding the best action, but nothing can be guaranteed. There will be thrilling days and quieter days, as with any wildlife safari.
Each expedition consists of six full days at sea, or five sea days and an active rest day (should the group’s stamina, or conditions, demand one).
The boat normally launches at around 08h00 and returns around 15h00, weather and conditions dependent.
Because of the fast-moving nature of the action, the best way to experience the Sardine Run is often on snorkel, and only a minority of our time will be spent on SCUBA. There is also plenty to see from the boat. This makes the Sardine Run accessible to those who do not have a SCUBA certification, and/or would prefer to be boat-based.
It is the cooler Benguela current that pulls the Sardine shoals up the South African east coast, so we don’t want warm water. With water temperatures during the Sardine Run ranging from around 15 to 20 degrees, divers are recommended to wear a 5 mm neoprene wetsuit.
There is no malaria in this part of South Africa.
For more information on Buccaneers Lodge: www.buccaneerschintsa.com
UPCOMING EXPEDITION
“The diving in the Western Cape and around Cape Town is some of the most exciting in the world.”
– PADI.com
“Cape Town is an essential entry on any traveller’s bucket list.”
– Time Out
Regularly topping lists of ‘Must visit destinations before you die’, Cape Town is a truly magical place – from the dramatic scenery where city and nature meld seamlessly into one another, to the vibrant culture of creativity, to the unique flora and fauna, to the incredible food.
Then there’s the underwater world, and if you’ve seen the Oscar award-winning documentary ‘My Octopus Teacher’ or Attenborough’s ‘Blue Planet’ series, you’ll already be familiar with some of what might be in-store.
Scuba diving in Cape Town is a blend of adventure, nature, and history.
Thanks to its location at the confluence of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, it is also unique and diverse, with a rich marine environment, incredible biodiversity, and a variety of dive sites.
Divers can encounter a wide array of marine species, including playful Cape Fur Seals, comical penguins, various shark species (including Mako, Blue, Broadnose Sevengill, Gully and Shy), giant rays, octopuses, cuttlefish, and colourful nudibranchs and reef fish.
In bygone times, the clashing of ocean currents and unpredictable weather also earned Cape Town the moniker ‘The Cape of Storms’, and the coastline is dotted with hundreds of shipwrecks, some centuries old and many still in excellent condition. There are bays where three or more wrecks are strewn almost on top of one another.
Good news for us is that diving conditions are generally best around the time we’ll be visiting, when visibility ranges between 5 and 20 metres, marine life is more active, and the water temperature is warmer (usually between 16 and 20 degrees).
The Great African Kelp Forest is a rare and distinctive feature of Cape Town’s underwater world, providing a magical, almost ethereal dive experience as you swim through towering kelp stalks teaming with life.
The downside of winter diving is that weather can sometimes be poor. However, on days when diving may not be an option, we can still enjoy much of what Cape Town has to offer above sea level – with options like diving in the Two Oceans Aquarium or inside a recompression chamber, visiting Table Mountain, Robben Island, the V&A Waterfront, Cape Point National Park, Boulders Beach penguin colony, enjoying a wine farm or two, or taking in a guided nature walk. Money saved on non-diving days will be used to include these kinds of activities in the price of your package.
While in Cape Town, we’ll be accommodated at the four star Quayside Lodge in Simons Town. This historic naval town has much to offer in its own right, and with our hotel situated right on the edge of the water, every room boasts outstanding ocean views. It also means we are collected by boat for diving each day right in front of the hotel!
Rates
£1,750 per person sharing / £1,950 single / £1,050 non-diver
Included: Accommodation (all with sea views), breakfast and lunch (catered to personal dietary requirements), transfers, boats, guides, cylinders and weights, rest day activities, activities on days that diving may be cancelled due to poor conditions.
Excluded: Alcohol, dive equipment other than weights and tanks (although this can be rented), evening meals, any land-based activities organised outside of those officially undertaken by the group, transfer day lunches, gratuities, mandatory travel and dive insurance.
Non-divers: Places are limited. Participants do not partake in any diving activities, and are responsible for arranging and funding their own activities while the rest of the group is diving. Land-based activities are included (as per the regular diving packages) on non-diving days.
Please note
Only currently offered as a bolt-on to our Sardine Run expeditions.
All diving in Cape Town will be on SCUBA and, for the sake of the enjoyment of others on the trip, we would prefer that divers joining us are current, competent, and relatively self-sufficient.
Many Cape Town locals dive in 7 mm semi-dry wetsuits, but drysuits are recommended for multiple dives over multiple days.
Although Cape Town has much to offer in a myriad aspects, our trips are focused around diving, and – rest days aside – diving will always take precedence over other activities.
Rest day activities are conducted (and budgeted for) as a group, and we cannot accommodate different group members wishing to go in different directions. However, anyone is welcome to arrange their own activities at any time, and at their own expense.
Diving locations and activities will be decided by group majority the day before each diving day, with consideration given to expected diving conditions and the advice given by our local guides.
On any diving day cancelled due to adverse conditions (which will be at the discretion of the local boat skipper) alternative land-based activities will be arranged, and without further charge.
There is no malaria risk in Cape Town.
For more information on the Quayside Lodge: www.quayside.co.za
TESTIMONIAL
“Troy's approach to the organisation of the expedition was very efficient using his local knowledge and great attention to detail. Thoroughly recommended.”
– Richard Q.