Does South Africa Have Surfing’s Best Road Trips?

August Howell

Tue, December 17, 2024 at 11:06 PM UTC

2 min read

It’s one of the planet’s largest migrations and is fittingly described as the Greatest Shoal on Earth. South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal sardine run is a wondrous phenomenon that happens in the southern hemisphere winter. It’s estimated hundreds of millions of sardines (along with a healthy number of seals, sharks, whales and birds) migrate 1,000 miles north up the Indian Ocean from the tip of Africa to KwaZulu-Natal, the coastal province of South Africa.

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It just so happens that great, uncrowded and off-the-grid waves exist along that same stretch, too. A production team from Now Now Media and a few hearty South African and Australiana just released a video of their own winter migration along this coast. They braved the road, the wildlife and a sketchy forecast to create an excellent example of travel, education and point break surfing.

Just as the fish follow a narrow band of cool water, surfers follow the winter swells pumped up from Antarctica. A trip to J-Bay is one thing, but this video goes several steps further. These waters are raw, powerful and teeming with life. It’s an adventure just to make it to the campsite on the Transkei, also known as the Wild Coast. Rugged beauty one minute, objectively spectacular the next.

“The Cape peninsula is pretty much the edge of Africa,” said Adin Masencamp. “The sea is very much alive. You jump in the water and feel like you’re part of the food chain.<p>Ian Thurtell</p> — “The Cape peninsula is pretty much the edge of Africa,” said Adin Masencamp. “The sea is very much alive. You jump in the water and feel like you’re part of the food chain.

Ian Thurtell

(Ian Thurtell)

Adin Massencamp, Frankie Oberholzer, Sophie Bell, and Micah Margieson, as well as the stoic filmers and photographers, are the protagonists of this epic journey. Fortunately, none of them ended up as fish food. If you’ve ever wanted a mix of Planet Earth, natural history, road trip adventure and high-quality surf cinematography, “Riding the Sardine Run” is for you.

When traveling up the South African coastline, the sardines form dense, shimmering shoals that can be more than 4.3 miles long, nearly a mile wide and 100 feet deep. Wild animals and active fishermen can help themselves. <p>Steve Benjamin</p> — When traveling up the South African coastline, the sardines form dense, shimmering shoals that can be more than 4.3 miles long, nearly a mile wide and 100 feet deep. Wild animals and active fishermen can help themselves.

Steve Benjamin

(Steve Benjamin)

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