Sardine Fever Grips KwaZulu-Natal – Swimming Banned on Southern Beaches

KwaZulu-Natal’s coastline is buzzing with excitement as the much-anticipated sardine run makes its arrival — but along with the silver shoals comes a serious safety measure: swimming has been temporarily banned at southern beaches.

The eThekwini Municipality announced that shark safety gear, including nets, has been removed to allow for the migration of sardines, making swimming unsafe for now.

Over the past weekend, the KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board (KZNSB) confirmed sardine activity near Port Edward. Despite rough ocean conditions — including powerful swells and surf as high as 2.5 meters — local seine netters managed to secure two successful nets.

On Sunday alone, over 40 crates of sardines were hauled in from Sandspit, while more were netted around Banana Beach. Fishermen in Pennington and Rocky Bay found more favorable conditions, boosting their success.

Due to the intense activity in the water, KZNSB's Wayne Harrison confirmed a feeding frenzy is underway, with both sharks and seabirds like gannets flocking to the area. This has led to a temporary ban on swimming from Port Edward up to Isipingo.

Harrison reported that around 80 crates of sardines were netted at Port Edward on Saturday. One of the nets caught 21 sharks — all of which were safely released back into the ocean.

For now, locals and tourists are encouraged to enjoy the spectacle from the shore and comply with the no-swimming advisory until conditions return to normal.

Information credit: Se-Anne Rall, IOL News https://iol.co.za