A Typical Day at Sea

The boat carries fuel for +/- 8Okm per day which equates to +/- 4-5 hours traveling. The other portion of the day would be spent stationary while lunch is taken or while snorkeling and diving or just drifting on backline taking in the breathtaking splendor of the WILD COAST coastline. Waterfall bluff is especially magnificent, so named because of the waterfall cascading from the cliffs directly into the sea, one of only five on the planet.

Common Dolphins are plentiful and almost all day the boat will be surrounded by them as they move up and down the coast feasting. These pods can easily reach 5000 strong and being in the water snorkeling with them is mind blowing. The cape gannets accompany the commons most of the day and from the boat one gets the easiest indicator of action as they swarm and dive in immeasurable numbers gorging themselves on sardines.

Humpback whales too are abundant as they are migrating north for warmer water to mate and calve. Their courtship displays are awesome with pectoral slapping, tail slaps at +/- 30 tons, to witness these massive leviathans breach is absolutely breathtaking.

Copper sharks are common place and can easily be seen from the boat or if you are up to it on snorkel as they seem to hardly notice people in the water as they focus only on the Sardines. Most of us though prefer to stick to snorkeling with the dolphins and enjoying the sharks from the boat.

Then there's the "BAIT BALL"
Every so often Dolphins and Sharks work together to separate a portion of a shoal and drive the fish to the surface where the scared and confused sardines form a ball. It is then that a true mass feeding frenzy begins. Cape Gannets "rain" from the heavens in their thousands as Dolphins, Sharks, Seals, Bryde's Whales and even Penguins devour the ball from all sides. An experience that will stay in your memory forever.













Species Likely to Encounter

Dolphins - Bottlenose, Common, Humpback and Pan Tropic Spotted.
Whales - Humpback, Bryde's, Pilot and rarely Orca's (Killer Whales)
Sharks - Copper, Dusky, Zambezi
Seals - Cape Fur
Penguins - African Black
Birds - Cape Gannets, Four species of Albatross, Northern Giant Petrel, White Chinned Petrel, Sub Antarctic Skua among others.
Boat - Semi-rigid 8 meter Super Duck in every day use at Umkomaas Lodge Dive Charter Umkomaas.
Skipper - Commercial Dive Boat Skipper for the last 12 years with over 5000 surf launches who has worked extensively on the Sardine Run for
the past 7 years.
Sea Temp - Averages between 17-22 degrees Celsius.
Masks, Fins & Wetsuits can be hired by arrangement but having your own is preferable.