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In a unprecedented show of nature’s untamed spectacle, this 12 months’s Sardine Run off the south coast of South Africa was captured on video, offering a uncommon and awe-inspiring glimpse into the lives of marine apex predators.
The footage, shared by free diver and conservationist Andy Coetzee, showcases a gripping scene involving orcas, a younger humpback whale, and the mesmerising phenomenon of the sardine run.
The encounter started with the sighting of three orcas engaged in a dramatic feeding session on the stays of a younger humpback whale.
The free divers, exercising warning and respect for the majestic creatures, selected to look at from a distance, making certain they didn’t disturb the pure behaviour of those marine giants.
The Sardine Run, an annual phenomenon alongside the southern coast of Africa, sees billions of sardines migrate alongside the shoreline, attracting a number of predators, together with dolphins, sharks, seabirds, and, after all, orcas.
The spectacle, sometimes called the ‘Best Shoal on Earth,’ is dealing with vital challenges as a result of local weather change and overfishing.
This pure occasion, involving billions of sardines migrating from the chilly waters of the Cape to the hotter areas of KwaZulu-Natal, not solely attracts a plethora of predators but in addition performs a vital function within the marine ecosystem.
As winter approaches, the upwelling of chilly water alongside the coast brings with it an enormous aggregation of sardines.
The Sardine Run is important for marine predators like dolphins, sharks, whales, seals, and birds. In line with a BBC report, these shoals, usually over 7 kilometres lengthy, 1.5 kilometres large, and 30 metres deep, present essential nourishment.
ALSO SEE: Why the Sardine Run ought to be on each diver’s bucket listing
Marine biologist Peter Teske notes that sardines are avoiding the hotter Agulhas present and transferring to cooler, shallower waters. This creates bottlenecks alongside the coast, making them extra weak to predators.
Dolphins spherical up sardines into bait balls, facilitating a feeding frenzy that sustains many marine species. Nonetheless, overfishing and local weather change are depleting sardine shares and altering their migration patterns.
This decline threatens all the ecosystem, together with endangered species just like the African penguin, Cape cormorant and Cape gannet. The disruption of the Sardine Run endangers these species and the annual occasion that sustains them.
Sadly, the way forward for this marine marvel is unsure, and its potential collapse might have devastating penalties for marine biodiversity alongside South Africa’s coast.
The unique footage was taken by Jann Luis Garcia Ehrhardt.
For extra movies and imagery from the Sardine Run, go to Andy’s Instagram web page.
Article shared by Cape City ETC.
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