The Greatest Hunt on Earth
Experience one of nature's most awe-inspiring phenomena on an adventure you will never forget - Each year, South Africa's Wild Coast hosts the legendary Sardine Run, a breathtaking migration of billions of sardines that attracts an unparalleled gathering of oceanic predators. Dolphins herding shimmering bait balls, sharks surging through the chaos, gannets diving like missiles from above, and whales feasting on the dense balls of fish...
Sardine Run Expedition
Private Options
For inquiries about exclusive private charters, please contact us. For over a decade, we have specialized in providing discreet services for high-profile clients, private groups, and film crews in locations including Norway, South Africa, and Asia.
INCLUDED
- Return Transfer between East London Airport and the private lodge
- High quality accommodation with en suite bathrooms, sea view balconies and more
- Fully Catered – Full Breakfast (we do it right!), Lunch/Boat snacks & large dinner
- Wifi
- Weights and weight belts
- Experienced guides with you in the water
AVAILABLE AT THE LODGE
- Relaxing treetop bar / restaurant with an incredible view, pool table etc
- laundry services
- snack shop
- massage service
- fully fitted client kitchen area with coffee, tea and relaxation area.
- helipad available for private arrivals / departures, game resort options etc.
- horse riding (beach or track)
and more…
Not All Sardine Run Trips Are Created Equal
When you look for a Sardine Run package, you'll find plenty of options. But what most don't advertise are the hidden compromises: basic lodging in crowded hubs, valuable time wasted in launch queues, and jockeying for position with other boats on the water. Too often, your dream trip is shared with inexperienced divers and stretched-thin crews, turning an adventure into a frustration.
Your bucket-list experience shouldn't be a gamble. It should be an expert-led, seamless adventure.
What Sets Oceans Around Us Apart?
At Oceans Around Us, we specialize in small-group Sardine Run experiences, ensuring you can escape the crowds while enjoying the highest level of comfort.
Prime, Secluded Location: Our location is completely removed from the usual tourist hotspots in one of the most stunning locations on the Wild Coast
- World-Class Expertise: We work with a top-rated Sardine Run operator with 20 years of experience as one of South Africa’s premier dive centers. Your guides are highly skilled divers, freedivers, and award-winning photographers/filmmakers with experience all over the world, led by Jacques de Vos whose work is trusted for projects by the BBC, Discovery, Netflix, Red Bull and others.
- Unmatched Comfort: Enjoy spacious sea-view rooms, full amenities, direct beach access, and meals that are a highlight of the trip. Your days chasing the Sardine Run are followed by evenings of relaxatio
Species We Encounter
The South African Sardine Run is renowned for attracting one of the most spectacular and diverse gatherings of predators on the planet. This mass migration of sardines creates a mobile feast that draws an incredible array of marine and avian hunters.
Leading the charge are massive pods of common dolphins, which work together to herd the sardines into dense "bait balls."
This cooperative hunting creates opportunities for a multitude of other animals. Numerous shark species surge through the tightly packed schools. Overhead, the sky is filled with thousands of Cape gannets, which dive into the water like missiles. Joining the frenzy you can also see Bryde's whales lunging through the shoals, as well as swift game fish like tuna and kingfish. Even Cape fur seals are seen participating in this epic, multi-species feeding event.
Animals Seen During The Sardine Run
OFTEN SEEN DURING OUR WEEKS;
Marine Mammals
- Dolphins:
- Common Dolphin
- Bottlenose Dolphin
- Whales:
- Bryde’s Whale
- Humpback Whale
Sharks & Rays
- Bronze Whaler
- Dusky Shark
- Oceanic Manta ray
Seabirds
- Cape Cormorant
- Cape Gannet
- Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross
- Kelp Gull
- Sooty Shearwater
- Sub Antarctic Skua
- Swift Tern
- White-chinned Petrel
Fish
- Sardine
- Mackerel
- Saury
- Anchovy
- Mullet
LESS COMMON (still possible):
Marine Mammals
- Dolphins
- Orca (killer whale) – largest member of the dolphin family
Humpback dolphins
Pantropical-spotted dolphin
Risso’s dolphin
Whales
Dwarf Minke whale
Southern Right whale
Sharks & Rays
Great White shark
Manta ray
Ragged-tooth shark
Tiger shark
Whale shark
Seabirds
African penguin
Antarctic Prion
Several species of albatross
Cory’s shearwater
Soft-plumaged petrel
Fish
Blue Marlin
Giant Trevally
Sailfish
Southern Bluefin tuna
Sunfish
Yellowfin tuna
Set Out To Discover’
A week on the South African Sardine Run is a true lesson in nature's unpredictability, where the only guarantee is that anything can happen. There is no fixed schedule; each day is dictated by the ocean's whims and the movement of the shoals. One day might be a quiet search with moments of breathtaking beauty, while the next could explode into a full-scale feeding frenzy with dolphins, sharks, and diving birds erupting from a calm sea
Photography Paradise
The ultimate bucket list expedition for topside and underwater photographers!
Our guides are always ready to help give advice for anyone interested in photography and video, and you will be in the very capable hands of Jacques de Vos and Tim Jenka.
Whether you pack a GoPro or an RED EPIC camera, shoot long topside or fly a drone – you can get amazing shots during your time on the Sardine Run.
What Is A Typical Day?
Your day starts before sunrise with a hearty breakfast served just before sunrise from our beautiful deck overlooking the ocean and estuary, ensuring you’re fueled for the adventure ahead. Shortly after, we head down to the rooms, to gear up (getting into suits ) and then take a short scenic walk to the stunning beach for our early launch. Our crew prepares everything and everyone and the boat navigates the surf directly from the sand.
Once at sea, the search begins. Our seasoned crew, with years of local expertise, will be your guides, scanning the horizon for the tell-tale signs of activity. We combine hands-on observation with a network of local contacts to guide us to where the action will be. This strategic approach maximizes our chances of placing you in the heart of the excitement.
When we locate a feeding event, our team will quickly determine the best way to experience it. Whether you’re in the water or observing the spectacle from the boat, you’ll have an unparalleled perspective of this incredible natural phenomenon.
Be prepared for a full day on the water, typically lasting six to eight hours. The Wild Coast is truly wild, and the experience can involve long boat rides and choppy conditions, so a good level of fitness and comfort with the ocean is essential. We generally aim to return to shore between 2:00 PM and 3:00 PM, but if the wildlife action is exceptional, we will stay out to make the most of it.
After returning, your afternoon is free to relax and recharge before dinner is served in the evening. This afternoon gap is a great time to prepare your equipment for the next day to have an easy start each morning. The evenings are for sharing stories and reflecting on a day and guests often hang out in the treetop bar for snacks, a glass of wine or a game of pool.
Your Guides
All weeks are run by Oceans Around Us founder, Jacques de Vos and helping him as the second guide is Tim Jenka:
Jacques de Vos
Jacques is an award winning photographer, film maker and guide. With extensive diving experience ranging from Freediving Instructor Trainer and SCUBA Instructor to Commercial Diver. Jacques has been working with large marine life (orcas and other cetaceans, sharks and more) for nearly two decades and grew up diving the oceans of South Africa, His knowledge and experience makes him an essential asset to the expeditions.
Tim Jenka
Tim has extensive experience diving with large marine life and wildlife photography (topside, underwater and aerial) and has shared experiences with Jacques all over the world, ranging from the Norwegian Arctic, to Asia and of course South Africa.
His adventures also often take him everywhere from his 'backyard' exploring alpine trails in Switzerland, rafting, diving or to weeks of bush camping in Australia.
Accommodation
If your idea of a perfect holiday doesn’t involve a torch-lit, midnight safari to a separate bathroom building or the thrilling suspense of wondering if your room is one of the chosen few with a window to the outside world, then you’re in the right place. We’ve opted for the radical luxury of en-suite facilities and all the other amenities you might need, ensuring the only adventure you have after dark is deciding on a nightcap. Leave the ‘rustic charm’ behind on this trip; we’ll provide the comfort.
As an added bonus (great for photographers!) – our accommodation borders an estuary and the beach and there is a wide variety of wildlife right outside your front door. Everything from African Fish Eagles, several species of Kingfishers and daily visits by Vervet monkeys.
Weather and Sea Temperatures
Wild Coast - Eastern Cape:
Air temperature
High: 21.3°C / 70.3°F Low: 14.7°C / 58.5°F
Sardine Run Average Water Temperature East London:
19.8°C / 67.64°F
No Two Visits The Same
Why do our guests return year after year? Because the Sardine Run weeks are never the same spectacle twice.
One day you might find yourself in the heart of a swirling, surging bait ball; the next, you’re amidst a super-pod of playful bottlenose dolphins. You might be humbled by an inquisitive humpback whale, see mantas up close or even witness the breathtaking arrival of an orcas.
Out here, anything can happen and it always does. Join us to write your own chapter in the ocean’s most epic story…
Have more questions or interested in booking?
Feel free to send them via email to: theoceansaroundus@gmail.com
This includes any information related to prices, availability as well as private options.