In June 2015 Mick Todd and I travelled to East London as part of an Andy Murch Big Fish Expeditions dive group. We were there to dive South Africa’s famous Sardine Run. This occurs during May to July when many millions of sardines travel north from the southern oceans under constant attack from numerous predators. The shoals can be so large that they are visible by satellite.

We were now part way through a three-week South African dive trip which had taken us from False Bay and would conclude at Umkomaas just south of Durban. Unfortunately so far we had had poor diving conditions and health! Mick had picked up a cold on the flight from Sydney and it was gradually spreading around the group. 

For four days we sneezed and sniffled aboard Explorer1 as we searched in vain for signs of the Sardine Run. Even though we were aided by our own Microlight spotter plane there was simply no sign of the Sardine Run. Still we were treated to some close encounters with dolphins and the occasional Humpback Whale and Mick amused himself by sneaking a sardine into the fold of my dive hood.  Skuas began hovering over me as if ready to swoop in and attack my beanie.  I was oblivious. Much to Mick’s disappointment, I was not attacked.