Page 77 - (DK) I Can’t Believe It! 2

STRANGE BUT TRUE! 75

Under threat, the FAST FACTS
sardines squash up
into a neat baitball, so The migrating sardines travel
that no individual fish north along the east coast of
can be singled out. South Africa, from their spawning
ground of Agulhas Bank to the
subtropical waters off the coast
of Durban. The huge shoals can
be 9 ⁄3 miles (15 km) long.
1
Durban
South Africa

Cape Town
Agulhas
Bank Sardine run

Sardines are an
integral part of the
ocean food chain, with
their sheer quantity
sustaining many
other fish species.

As the tiny fish make their journey,
predators gather for a feeding frenzy.
Dolphins round up the sardines into
baitballs, while birds descend from the
skies and sharks converge in the water.
The risky migration’s motive is unclear,
but it may be that the southern waters
become too cold for the sardines.

US_074-075_309600_Shoal_stopper.indd 75 19/12/17 12:56 pm