As a member of the Sardine Run Association, we have pledged to conduct legal, ethical and socially responsible sardine run expeditions all while providing you with an unparalleled nature experience and promoting the conservation of our unique ocean wildlife. We follow a set of protocols to ensure the safety of the participants and the conservation of the marine environment.
Here are some key aspects often considered during the Sardine Run:
- It is suggested that wetsuits and fins be dark in colour and that divers avoid shiny / bright / luminous items of dive gear and anyone in the water with a Bait-Ball must be wearing black gloves and booties.
- All clients must be suitably qualified as a SCUBA diver to SCUBA dive on the sardine run.
- Divers will be dropped in a specific place and the skipper and dive guide will be vigilant in keeping groups together and boats outside of the immediate area.
- The dive group should stay together and stay off the bait ball with the aim of purely observing and not interfering.
- All in-water snorkelers must have sufficient experience for the activity and must, at all times, attempt to keep off the bait ball even though this may move in constantly.
- All scuba dives will be led by a dive master and the dive master will carry a buoy line / surface marker buoy (SMB) at all times.
- All scuba divers are to carry a SMB in their BCD’s and need to practice correct buoyancy control and stay at the same depth as the Dive Master.
- It is highly recommended that a check-out dive to a depth no deeper than 15m is done on the first day prior to any further in-water activities.
- There will be no invasive diving through pods of dolphins and no sharp turns or circling to attract the dolphins is allowed.
- Boats may not approach closer than 300m from a whale and no mother/calf pairs will be disturbed or approached in any way.
- The Sardine Run activities take place during daylight hours only and in suitable weather conditions, boats will return to shore when the weather conditions become unsafe.
- ProDive adheres to and commits to social upliftment responsibility, we have undertaken a community project, we are working towards to betterment of Community Senior Primary School in rural Port St. Johns, for more information, visit https://prodivesardinerun.co.za/community-project/
- ProDive is open to providing information to assess the impact of each year’s Sardine Run on the local community and tourism in general.
Thank you to Steve Woods Underwater Photography for the images.
