Expedition into the Heart of the Indian Ocean: Whales, Sharks, Fur Seals, and Boobies Along the Great Sardine Run
SOUTH AFRICA
July 22 - 29, 2026
South Africa
July 22 - 29, 2026
South Africa
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New Year tour South Africa the Kingdom of Lesotho Swaziland Blind River Canyon Limpopo Province the Big Five South Africa Tabana Ntlenyana Lesotho тур в ЮАР
Have you ever seen millions of silver bodies turn the ocean into something alive and breathing? Imagine the water before you crackling with electricity as the sardine shoal moves like a vast vortex of mirrors, reflecting sky and sun. Each fish is a tiny, flawless mechanism, and together they create one of nature’s greatest collective choreographies—an awe-inspiring phenomenon that continues to captivate researchers and marine biologists around the world.
Now add to this spectacle dolphins, sharks, fur seals, and humpback whales—like enchanted conductors who occasionally step into the oceanic symphony, shifting its rhythm and triggering bursts of unpredictable drama. At times, it feels as if you’re diving into a three-dimensional chess match where every move by every living player is instantaneous, precise, and utterly unique.
You’ll find yourself in a small village on South Africa’s southeast coast. Each morning begins with a quiet thrill: where is the shoal today, who is following it, what wonders will unfold beneath the surface? Your days flow through dives among millions of fish, with whales passing close by—and every moment feels as if you’ve become part of the most vibrant living canvas on the planet.
Now add to this spectacle dolphins, sharks, fur seals, and humpback whales—like enchanted conductors who occasionally step into the oceanic symphony, shifting its rhythm and triggering bursts of unpredictable drama. At times, it feels as if you’re diving into a three-dimensional chess match where every move by every living player is instantaneous, precise, and utterly unique.
You’ll find yourself in a small village on South Africa’s southeast coast. Each morning begins with a quiet thrill: where is the shoal today, who is following it, what wonders will unfold beneath the surface? Your days flow through dives among millions of fish, with whales passing close by—and every moment feels as if you’ve become part of the most vibrant living canvas on the planet.
Explore the beautiful city of Cape Town, washed by the waters and winds of the Atlantic Ocean?
Go on a jeep safari in the Kruger National Park, home to the African Big Five and the largest concentration of wildlife?
See one of the deepest and most beautiful canyons in the world, the Blyde River Canyon?
Visit the southernmost point of the African continent - Cape Agulhas and the famous Cape of Good Hope?
Taste high quality South African wine in the finest Stellenbosch vineyards?
Or maybe even dive into a cage with white sharks?
The program also includes an ascent to the legendary Table Mountain, an adrenaline rush in the extreme amusement park Tsitsikama and much more!
Go on a jeep safari in the Kruger National Park, home to the African Big Five and the largest concentration of wildlife?
See one of the deepest and most beautiful canyons in the world, the Blyde River Canyon?
Visit the southernmost point of the African continent - Cape Agulhas and the famous Cape of Good Hope?
Taste high quality South African wine in the finest Stellenbosch vineyards?
Or maybe even dive into a cage with white sharks?
The program also includes an ascent to the legendary Table Mountain, an adrenaline rush in the extreme amusement park Tsitsikama and much more!
SCHEDULE & COST:
Dates: July 22 - 29, 2026
Duration: 11 days / 10 nights
Number of participants: 6 – 12
Cost per person: 4250 USD
10% Early Booking Discount for Reservations Made by December 22, 2025
Everything is included, except:
– Flights to East London (round trip)
– 3 regional flights,
– Travel medical insurance,
– South African visa
Approximate cost of flights:
– Moscow – Johannesburg – Moscow: USD 1,100–1,400
– Johannesburg – East London – Johannesburg: USD 250
Flights are usually booked independently; we provide guidance and advice.
Single accommodation supplement: available upon request, subject to availability.
TRAVEL PROGRAM: Tour South Africa
Day 1. July 22, 2026. Arrival in East London
We arrive in East London, a tranquil coastal town on South Africa’s southeast coast, where the Buffalo River meets the ocean, framed by pristine white beaches and historic piers. Once a mooring point for British ships, today it serves as the gateway to the Wild Coast and our adventure route.
At the airport, a group transfer takes us to Mdumbi. The five-hour drive flies by as the landscape outside unfolds like chapters of a book — rolling hills, fields, villages, and the ocean. We’ll stop at a supermarket to stock up on supplies for the next five days and grab your favorite travel snacks. Bring whatever you can’t imagine traveling without: water, fruit, coffee in a thermos, chocolate.
By evening, we arrive in Mdumbi — a village at the edge of the continent. Our local team welcomes us, we check in, enjoy dinner, and attend the first evening lecture on marine biology and what lies ahead on our journey.
*Recommended Flights to East London, South Africa:
– Airlink from Johannesburg: Depart 10:30, July 22 → Arrive East London 12:00, July 22
– Airlink from Johannesburg: Depart 18:05, July 21 → Arrive East London 19:30, July 21
– Any other flight arriving in East London by midday on July 22, or the evening before.
Meals Included: Dinner
Accommodation: Traditional huts
Day 2. July 23, 2026. Day at sea
We wake before dawn — the ocean waits for no one. Breakfast, mindset, gear check. Today we suit up in wetsuits for the first time and for the first time see them dry!
We head out to sea around 7:30 a.m., returning to shore around 3:00 p.m.—timing depends entirely on the weather and the ocean’s will.
This is our first day on the hunt for whales. We venture out with the local team — a skipper and a marine biologist who know this stretch of ocean as intimately as their own hands. With every wave, you’ll feel confident that you’re in expert, trustworthy hands.
After returning, there’s time to relax. Options include yoga, massage, a short hike, kayaking, or a stroll through Mdumbi (additional activities at your own expense). Dinner follows in the evening.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Traditional huts
Days 3–7. July 24–28, 2026. Days at sea. The Sardine Run
We rise before dawn, grab a quick breakfast, strap on our gear — and glide into the first light. Does the day feel repetitive? Far from it — the ocean always finds a way to surprise.
As the migration season begins, millions of sardines surge along South Africa’s coast, performing the famed Sardine Run — one of the planet’s largest natural spectacles. These shimmering shoals attract dolphins, sharks, and seabirds. Humpback whales join the feast, following the fish and creating an underwater symphony of motion. This is a rare chance to dive into the “silver tunnel” of the shoal, watch the sardines’ synchronized movements, and witness predator-prey interactions in the wild.
Today, dolphins race alongside us, while a sea turtle drifts lazily on the horizon. Tomorrow, a snake may surface unexpectedly, and around the next wave, a school of baitfish might leap—a reminder that the ocean lives by its own unpredictable rhythm. And always, always nearby, the humpback whales: majestic, curious, sometimes playful, as if aware that we’ve come specifically to witness them.
In the quiet between encounters, we learn to listen to the ocean, observe the reefs, and try freediving — feeling the water become part of our body, our breath syncing with the tides. Each day is a mini-expedition full of discoveries and surprises. Every evening, we return to shore with the sense that we’ve witnessed a world only the open sea remembers.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Traditional huts
Day 8 – July 29, 2026: Return Home
After breakfast, a transfer takes us to East London Airport. You can choose an evening flight or spend the night at a hotel with a departure the following day.
**Recommended Flights from East London, South Africa:
– Safair: Depart East London 17:10, July 29 → Arrive Johannesburg 18:40, July 29
– Airlink: Depart East London 12:35, July 30 → Arrive Johannesburg 14:05, July 30 (extra night)
– Any other flight departing East London in the evening of July 29 or the following day.
Meals Included: Breakfast
Accommodation: Not included
*The tour operator does not take responsibility for any changes in the schedule of local airlines that may occur after booking. The operator will make every effort to minimize potential disruptions to the approved itinerary. Route changes may occur due to force majeure circumstances, current schedules, the availability of domestic flights, and the possibility of charter flights. It is recommended to obtain insurance for full coverage of possible risks and inconveniences during the trip.
Duration: 11 days / 10 nights
Number of participants: 6 – 12
Cost per person: 4250 USD
10% Early Booking Discount for Reservations Made by December 22, 2025
Everything is included, except:
– Flights to East London (round trip)
– 3 regional flights,
– Travel medical insurance,
– South African visa
Approximate cost of flights:
– Moscow – Johannesburg – Moscow: USD 1,100–1,400
– Johannesburg – East London – Johannesburg: USD 250
Flights are usually booked independently; we provide guidance and advice.
Single accommodation supplement: available upon request, subject to availability.
TRAVEL PROGRAM: Tour South Africa
Day 1. July 22, 2026. Arrival in East London
We arrive in East London, a tranquil coastal town on South Africa’s southeast coast, where the Buffalo River meets the ocean, framed by pristine white beaches and historic piers. Once a mooring point for British ships, today it serves as the gateway to the Wild Coast and our adventure route.
At the airport, a group transfer takes us to Mdumbi. The five-hour drive flies by as the landscape outside unfolds like chapters of a book — rolling hills, fields, villages, and the ocean. We’ll stop at a supermarket to stock up on supplies for the next five days and grab your favorite travel snacks. Bring whatever you can’t imagine traveling without: water, fruit, coffee in a thermos, chocolate.
By evening, we arrive in Mdumbi — a village at the edge of the continent. Our local team welcomes us, we check in, enjoy dinner, and attend the first evening lecture on marine biology and what lies ahead on our journey.
*Recommended Flights to East London, South Africa:
– Airlink from Johannesburg: Depart 10:30, July 22 → Arrive East London 12:00, July 22
– Airlink from Johannesburg: Depart 18:05, July 21 → Arrive East London 19:30, July 21
– Any other flight arriving in East London by midday on July 22, or the evening before.
Meals Included: Dinner
Accommodation: Traditional huts
Day 2. July 23, 2026. Day at sea
We wake before dawn — the ocean waits for no one. Breakfast, mindset, gear check. Today we suit up in wetsuits for the first time and for the first time see them dry!
We head out to sea around 7:30 a.m., returning to shore around 3:00 p.m.—timing depends entirely on the weather and the ocean’s will.
This is our first day on the hunt for whales. We venture out with the local team — a skipper and a marine biologist who know this stretch of ocean as intimately as their own hands. With every wave, you’ll feel confident that you’re in expert, trustworthy hands.
After returning, there’s time to relax. Options include yoga, massage, a short hike, kayaking, or a stroll through Mdumbi (additional activities at your own expense). Dinner follows in the evening.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Traditional huts
Days 3–7. July 24–28, 2026. Days at sea. The Sardine Run
We rise before dawn, grab a quick breakfast, strap on our gear — and glide into the first light. Does the day feel repetitive? Far from it — the ocean always finds a way to surprise.
As the migration season begins, millions of sardines surge along South Africa’s coast, performing the famed Sardine Run — one of the planet’s largest natural spectacles. These shimmering shoals attract dolphins, sharks, and seabirds. Humpback whales join the feast, following the fish and creating an underwater symphony of motion. This is a rare chance to dive into the “silver tunnel” of the shoal, watch the sardines’ synchronized movements, and witness predator-prey interactions in the wild.
Today, dolphins race alongside us, while a sea turtle drifts lazily on the horizon. Tomorrow, a snake may surface unexpectedly, and around the next wave, a school of baitfish might leap—a reminder that the ocean lives by its own unpredictable rhythm. And always, always nearby, the humpback whales: majestic, curious, sometimes playful, as if aware that we’ve come specifically to witness them.
In the quiet between encounters, we learn to listen to the ocean, observe the reefs, and try freediving — feeling the water become part of our body, our breath syncing with the tides. Each day is a mini-expedition full of discoveries and surprises. Every evening, we return to shore with the sense that we’ve witnessed a world only the open sea remembers.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Traditional huts
Day 8 – July 29, 2026: Return Home
After breakfast, a transfer takes us to East London Airport. You can choose an evening flight or spend the night at a hotel with a departure the following day.
**Recommended Flights from East London, South Africa:
– Safair: Depart East London 17:10, July 29 → Arrive Johannesburg 18:40, July 29
– Airlink: Depart East London 12:35, July 30 → Arrive Johannesburg 14:05, July 30 (extra night)
– Any other flight departing East London in the evening of July 29 or the following day.
Meals Included: Breakfast
Accommodation: Not included
*The tour operator does not take responsibility for any changes in the schedule of local airlines that may occur after booking. The operator will make every effort to minimize potential disruptions to the approved itinerary. Route changes may occur due to force majeure circumstances, current schedules, the availability of domestic flights, and the possibility of charter flights. It is recommended to obtain insurance for full coverage of possible risks and inconveniences during the trip.
Cost includes:
Cost excludes (to be additionally paid):
To take with:
- Accommodation and meals in Mdumbi in private traditional huts (7 nights) based on double occupancy
- Up to 6 ocean outings, 6–7 hours each (exact duration depends on weather)
- All transfers along the route
- Accompaniment by an experienced Russian-speaking guide on land, in the water, and underwater
- Accompaniment by experienced local South African guides (skipper, guide, assistant guide)
- Russian- and English-speaking guide and team leader throughout the entire trip
Cost excludes (to be additionally paid):
- Travel medical insurance
- Meals not specified in the program
- Snorkeling equipment
- Tips and personal expenses
To take with:
- Clothing suitable for the weather: light clothes (shorts, T-shirts), warm layers (sweater, fleece, pants, windproof jacket, long-sleeve shirts, thermal underwear)
- Headwear for different conditions: baseball cap / sun hat, warm hat
- Swimwear / trunks
- Raincoat
- Personal hygiene items
- Personal medications: painkillers, antiseptics, antibiotics, any required prescriptions, antiviral drugs, multivitamins, oral rehydration salts, bandages
- Sun and wind protection: sunscreen, sunglasses
- Insect repellents: sprays, creams
- Photo and video equipment with spare batteries
- Fins, mask, snorkel, 5mm wetsuit with hood, gloves, boots
- Waterproof bag for personal items on the boat
- Seasickness tablets
- Towel
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In our trips we pay special attention to safety. All our travels are based on personal experience, equipped with the best gear, involving proved providers and experienced local guides who perfectly know local features. - EXPERIENCE
We have a unique experience of the most offbeat expeditions and ascents, deep knowledge of countries and peoples, and are ready to share it with you. All the expeditions and climbings are tested by Mzungu himself, guaranteeing exciting traveling and your comfort. - REASONABLE PRICE
All our trips are reach in adventures, with high quality accommodation, transportation and meals included. We do not save on it. Thanks to solid contacts with reliable providers we offer really good prices and high quality.
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