Who we are
Built by people who work on the ocean every day
Sardine Run Africa is the new Wild Coast expedition arm of Offshore Adventures, the Plettenberg Bay operation known for its seal swims, ocean safaris and marine research work. For years we ran seasonal sardine run charters alongside the Plett business; guests kept telling us the same thing on the way home: this deserves its own operation, closer to the early fish.
So we built one. Chintsa gives us what Plett taught us to value: a protected beach launch, honest access to the early-season shoals, and a coastline that hasn't been queued up by a fleet. King Phalo Airport is 40 minutes away, which means guests step off a morning flight from Johannesburg and watch the sunset from the lodge deck the same day.
The operating standards come with us: SAMSA-certified skippers, oxygen and first aid on board, briefings that treat you like an adult, and a hard rule that the animals decide how close the encounter gets. That approach earned the Plett operation three consecutive years of WESSA Blue Flag status, an NSRI partnership, and a seat on the Plett Hope Spot committee.
Sea time over sales talk
The run can't be guaranteed, so we don't. We sell what we control: launches at first light, five sea days a week, and a crew that reads water for a living.
Small boats, small groups
Bait balls rarely last ten minutes. Small fast boats with few guests get you in the water while it's happening, not queuing behind another operator.
The ocean comes first
Our Plettenberg Bay operation holds WESSA Blue Flag status, partners with the NSRI, supports seal rehabilitation and sits on the Plett Hope Spot committee. The same rules travel with us to the Wild Coast: wildlife sets the terms of every encounter.
Expedition mornings start here: coffee at 05:45, forecast on the table, wetsuits already on the rail. If that sounds like your kind of week, come find out.
Come meet the crew on the water
Seven days in Chintsa, five of them at sea. Enquire for 2027 and we'll take it from there.
Boats carry small groups only, and prime weeks go 6-12 months out.