Sardine Run, South Africa 2007

Hi,

Is there any wetpixel trip planned in 2007?

where?

sardine run?

Err not sure but I'm going with my mini-wetpixel group. In fact for my first group... they are all wetpixel members.... damn!

Seriously, Eric will be back in Nov and I'll chat with him about the organization of the trip with SEAL.

I'm pretty sure there are other wetpixel trips as well .. but they just aren't up in the travel section yet.

on another note . i'd love to do another sardine run trip .. it was a great experience and I was jaw dropped the whole time .. very hardcore and very fun

If you give me admin privileges at allaboutgiles.com I'll consider letting you come on my boat.

I would like to go again as well...but this time I would do differently: on short term notice (no advance booking), trying to get some reliable information about the actual location of the main schools of the sardines and then, booking and making the trip just 3 days before they hit the area of the lodge. and in the lodge take a room with heating option...I didn't and got sick last time...it can become very cold down there (winter time). and, btw, I would take my dry suit next time...

Juerg

I've done it for the last 7 years. It doesn't work that way. You can get info that they are moving 30km within an area... then they move past under the area and pop up somewhere else... or they move backwards. It's a patience game mate and of course experience.

anybody going?

last year was a total flunk, virtually no action at all...2005 was one of the best if one believes in some of the reports about that year.

thinking about it, but if I am going, then only on short-term notice (if space available -->flights-hotel-boat...) and with a drysuit!!!

any thoughts?

I'd love to be able to go again Juerg ... I am way to busy with trips this year (damn people getting married)

... you were cold enough last year to want a dry suit ? or did you just get fed up of being wet ? I seriously for the most part could have handled a 5mm without the vest i had last year, hell the surface work would have been best in a 3mm !

I think there was another thread here about the sardine run. I don't know if anything was discussed, but i think it would be a loosely organised thing.

If you go again Juerg, even though the action wasn't much better the week after, I would highly recommend being flexible about leaving as it seemed to be coming in the 8 days we stayed on last year, and then, after we left ... it apparently came on by !

PS i would go back just for surface shots of dolphins and whales again ! .. maybe 2008 i'll tag along again if someone doesn't mind

I joined the 2 threads.

Giles, you mean it came on our last day! Did you forget that incredible scene at the Gap where maybe 3000 birds were jumping in and the other 2000 converging from miles away. I've been trying to figure out how to shoot a scene like that properly without James Cameron's budget.

Of course, 3 days later it kicked again and went dead!

Juerg, 2005 was a very good year for sei netters and general sardine run tourists. But it was (to quote a south african) "absolutely cuck" underwater. The viz was crappy for still shooters going from 2-6m. I got some of my best close encounters with gannets, only because I had to be in the baitball in order to see them. We even had a penguin in a mini-baitball and mackerel baitball being chomped on by 50 sharks.

2006 had quite a bit of action as well. Shark baitballs on the surface (again viz was crap so going in for shots was not an option) and fighting, breaching and a first for me at the run, sleeping humpbacks. Sure most of the baitballs your group saw were redeye sardines (etrumeus tcres) and those guys don't usually pack as densely as the sardinops sagax (the real sardines of the run). If you want Doug Perrine style pictures, you'll have to do what he did, 30-40 days every year.

The logistics of catching the sards in the right conditions doesn't allow for impromptu trips 36 hrs away. I caught the main shoal(school) last year only because I already had my gear (boat, compressor, dive gear) in the area already and it was a simple 4 hr drive back. You can't do it from another continent. Well you can if you are willing to put for a boat on standby with all logistics ready for your arrival like a certain individual did in 2005. He flew in from Capetown on his private 747 when there was action... and he almost missed it all until his organizers got desperate and dumped him in a small baitball with 2m viz, but only because he stayed the night and got out early.

Giles, wait for 2008. Eric and I have something tres cool planned for africa.

Giles, you mean it came on our last day! Did you forget that incredible scene at the Gap where maybe 3000 birds were jumping in and the other 2000 converging from miles away.

and a first for me at the run, sleeping humpbacks.

Giles, wait for 2008. Eric and I have something tres cool planned for africa.

Oh yes i remember that ... you mean the piss take out at sea when we decided to call it quits !! mother bloody nature ! (i still had a freaking awesome time with everything i did see ... )I remember one in particular .. did you actually see it while it was sleeping Drew ?

Waiting !! (is it including something a little farther north?)

No, it was when we went to the gap and climbed those rocks and saw the white clouds of gannets converging onto the same area we had the 5m waves(in retrospect, it was wise we called it quits).

And yes I did... I spotted the first one and you spotted the 2nd one. And don't blame me cos you 2 got fickle with your hand signals.

2008... wait for the announcement...

Hey, I'm rolling the dice and going this June. I'm afraid I'll be too old for this afore long. Ordering big rubber to cover me skinny bonez.

Going with SEAL. Any tips on lenses (Subal ND70; thinking 16 or 17-55) or strobe use (tricky in the crud)?

Accomodations (besides heating, good tip!) and activities?

Thanks.

All the best,

Chris

Hey, I'm rolling the dice and going this June. I'm afraid I'll be too old for this afore long. Ordering big rubber to cover me skinny bonez.

 

Going with SEAL. Any tips on lenses (Subal ND70; thinking 16 or 17-55) or strobe use (tricky in the crud)?

 

Accomodations (besides heating, good tip!) and activities?

 

Thanks.

 

All the best,

Chris

Yes, I recommend you fight to get on 2 skipper's boats (Nic will hate me for this but I'll buy him a drink or 2). The skippers are Francois and (if he's working for Nic) Rob Bester. Rob has been doing the run since 2003. Francois has eagle fishermen eyes. I've worked with both of them before and they are excellent. Oh and I'll see you at sea. What dates are you going on?

Yes, I recommend you fight to get on 2 skipper's boats (Nic will hate me for this but I'll buy him a drink or 2). The skippers are Francois and (if he's working for Nic) Rob Bester. Rob has been doing the run since 2003. Francois has eagle fishermen eyes. I've worked with both of them before and they are excellent. Oh and I'll see you at sea. What dates are you going on?

Thanks for the tip -- I'll try to be sly with Nic and get on one of those boats.

I'm going 11-20 June.

Chris in Red Stick

Drew,

thanks for your comments. I know, that one must count with the uncertainty of mother nature. But with only a few weeks of vaccation a year (besides the spent money...) you want to go with the biggest chances. For example, I was in Yap last November (besides Palau which was extraordinary btw) and within one full week we did not see any (not one) manta ray at all! It is incredible, but unfortunately true. But it was still fun over there.

And off course I would like to shoot the Doug Perrin's style, who wouldn't ?

So, Drew, what do you recommend which is in your opinion the best period, let's say for a 2 week stay to book in advance: early or late june OR early or late july?

appreciate

Juerg

I choose my dates based on scientific data analysed by top marine biologists in Durban, my weather is charted by top meterologists in france and I pick the dates based on which much urine my god son pisses in his nappy per 4 hrs. If I could predict that... I'd be getting paid mucho dollars by a lot of people in South africa and abroad. Basically, anyone who says there's an optimum period is lying! Sards came first 2 weeks of June in 99-02, 2 main shoals in 03 (1st one June 8th, 2nd one July 3), 04 (late June), 05 (much of june and july), 06 july... 07 to 40... when I'm there(I hope!)

I'll say this much. July is when the winter winds pick up and make the wild coast earn it's name as the WILD COAST. You'll have a lot more days of sitting in front of the fire.

I stay a minimum of 18-20 days for the run, often up to 30 days. My longest was 5 weeks in 2003, where I beat Doug out for most dedicated sardine runner. But since he's made a lot more money than me with his pics, I consider myself the most addicted sardine runner (aka the stupid yank who keeps coming back for more back pain!)

Talk to Nic from SEAL. He's as much in the dark as anyone else.

Chris, I'll see you at sea. If you are on Francois' boat, he'll come find me anyways. I bring him his favorite muffins everyday.

Juerg

I choose my dates based on scientific data analysed by top marine biologists in Durban, my weather is charted by top meterologists in france and I pick the dates based on which much urine my god son pisses in his nappy per 4 hrs. If I could predict that... I'd be getting paid mucho dollars by a lot of people in South africa and abroad. Basically, anyone who says there's an optimum period is lying! Sards came first 2 weeks of June in 99-02, 2 main shoals in 03 (1st one June 8th, 2nd one July 3), 04 (late June), 05 (much of june and july), 06 july... 07 to 40... when I'm there(I hope!)

I'll say this much. July is when the winter winds pick up and make the wild coast earn it's name as the WILD COAST. You'll have a lot more days of sitting in front of the fire.

I stay a minimum of 18-20 days for the run, often up to 30 days. My longest was 5 weeks in 2003, where I beat Doug out for most dedicated sardine runner. But since he's made a lot more money than me with his pics, I consider myself the most addicted sardine runner (aka the stupid yank who keeps coming back for more back pain!)

Talk to Nic from SEAL. He's as much in the dark as anyone else.

 

Chris, I'll see you at sea. If you are on Francois' boat, he'll come find me anyways. I bring him his favorite muffins everyday.

you are a funny guy...can't remember that we met last year??? did we? I was with Eric's group...see you out there (maybe...still thinking about...) ciao

Juerg, I don't think we were formally introduced but I was the guy in the red and blue wetsuit in the aquamaine boat and the extra high high chair. Our boats crossed paths more than a few times. Next year I have women on my boat again! Woohoo.