A shark (possibly a dusky) splashes some water on the excited (and very polite) crew of a small RIB (Rigid Inflatable Boat) while frantically trying to catch some sardines. Contrary to what usually happens, this massive aggregation of sardines took place right offshore: it was located a few hundred meters from the shore, about 1,5 km long and about 17 meters deep. As the shark suddenly darts through the smaller fishes, the sardines react by clearing a path for the predator.

This aggregation of sardines took place off the Wild Coast of South Africa, south of Port Saint Johns. The shoal was first sighted on June 18, 2023, when this video was shot. It was remarkable for its size: according to our guide, it was the third time that something similar had been seen over the past 25 years. Just as remarkable was the absence of both (common and bottlenose) dolphins and birds (cape gannets, cormorants, terns, albatrosses). The next day, the same shoal was the theater of a massive shark feeding frenzy.

The video was shot by myself using a GoPro 7 on 4k.

The reasons why the sardines set out from the Atlantic ocean to the Indian Ocean are complex and not completely understood. The main factor seems to be the interaction between the cold Benguela current off the East Coast of South Africa and the warmer Agulhas current off its West Coast.