Sardine Run SCUBA Adventure in South Africa
Crowded Animal Market - Andes Mountains, Ecuador
Africa of course is not a singular destination but a continent where a lifetime’s worth of exploration is to be found. Our current destinations are geared to climbing Mt. Kiliman-jaro, the highest peak on the continent in Tanzania and diving the Sardine Run in Dur-ban, South Africa, known as the greatest shoal on Earth. However, while in the area, there are other killer things to do as well. Check them out below.
Africa Facts
If you want cool things to do in Africa, check out the next section. If you are looking for facts and figures, click here.
Adventure
The adventure life comes in unlimited styles in Tanzania and South Africa! Some of our favorite things to do in Africa include:
- Dive Dive Dive. Scuba Diving in South Africa is our favorite thing to do!
- Mt. Meru. A gem of a mountain which is often ignored by trekkers who only seem intent on climbing Kili. Mount Meru is the second highest mountain in Tanzania at 4,565 meters. A great warm up trek for the big one – Mount Kilimanjaro
- Climb Mt Kenya. Take the technical Shipton’s route up Mt. Kenya (5.5-5.8), the second highest mountain in Africa. Must be an experienced rock climber. Can also be done as a trek by a different route but not to the tippy top!
- Take a Walking Safari. The picture that you don’t see of riding the safaris is the 10 other vehicles. Get out and walk it!!!
- Ballooning during the Great Migration. The Serengeti National Park is the only one who currently offers balloon safaris. During the Great Migration this will be an amazing highlight of your trip to Africa.
- Okavango Delta by Canoe. Ok, this is in Botswana but hey it’s a must do. Camp on the delta and go by canoe. Talk about being WITH nature. Check out Oddballs camp
- South Africa Wine Region.With 13 regions to choose from and a signposted wine route what else do you need!!!
- Dive with Great Whites. The western cape offers the opportunity to cage dive with the MacDaddy shark of them all!
- Surfing. Ok, now that you’ve dived with Great Whites….it will give you something to think about while you’re lying on your board! Hit Supertubes off of Port Elizabeth, considered some of the best right hand breaks in the world.
- Whale Watch in Hermanus. Join in the Whale festival at the end of Sept. if you’d like! This marks the yearly arrival of the southern right whales to Walker’s Bay.
- Break the Sound Barrier at Fighter Town. There’s only one place in the world where you can strap into a Mach 2 English Electric Lightning and climb 60,000 feet in just over a minute… Come to Thunder City and do it!!!!
Africa Seasonality
Seasons in Africa are opposite to the northern hemisphere. Summers can get quite hot especially around Durban and KwaZulu-Natal where sum-mer rains make it humid and muggy. The winters are generally mild with maybe a dust-ing of snow on higher elevations.
You can go to South Africa any time but depending on what activities you are planning there are better times then others. For example:
- Safari- Dry season (June-September)
- Rafting – Rainy season (December-February)
- Flowers – Spring (August – September)
- Whale Watching – (June-December)
- Sardine Run – June/July (mostly June)
- Climbing Mt. Kili – (June-October and January-Mid-March)
Note: Most South Africans will plan their vacations during mid-December to the end of January so hotels book up quickly during that time.
Diving in South Africa
For us this means the Sardine Run out of Durban. From May through July millions of sardines travel up the east coast of South Africa along the KwaZulu Natal and Eastern Cape, a virtual dinner plate for over 25,000 sharks, dolphin, whales, game fish and birds who feast in veritable bait balls. Sardines are spotted by plane or ultralight and then Zodiac style boats rush to the location and divers throw themselves into the frenzy (or just outside!). The bait ball often lasts no more than 10 minutes. From there you climb back in the boat and wait for another spotting. Considered to be the “greatest shoal on Earth” the sardine run may rival the great wildebeest migration for collective biomass.
Click here for information on our next trip scheduled to South Africa for the Sardine Run – June 2010 – Exact dates TBA.
