Oceanic Feast: The Sardine Migration and its Predators
Mass migration of sardines along South Africa's coast attracts predators like gannets and sharks.
00:00:02 Millions of sardines embark on a massive migration along South Africa's eastern seaboard, feasting on a bloom of plankton brought by rich nutrients from cold waters. Their biomass rivals that of wildebeests in Africa.
🌊 Coastal currents bring up rich nutrients, creating a bloom of plankton.
🐟 Millions of sardines migrate along the coast, feasting on the plankton.
🌍 The sardine migration rivals the wildebeest migration in terms of sheer biomass.
00:01:11 Predators, including gannets and sharks, follow the northward migration of sardines. The sharks' tracks are visible from the air.
🐟 The sardines are traveling north, attracting a multitude of predators.
🐦 Thousands of Cape gannets are following the sardines, coordinating their breeding for their chicks to join the pursuit.
🦈 Bronze Whaler sharks have joined the caravan, leaving visible tracks through the sardine shoals.
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