SARDINE RUN PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATION

Our mission is to provide our clients with an unparalleled nature experience, while promoting the conservation of our unique ocean wildlife and upholding our operations to the highest standards in quality and safety.

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Code of Conduct

The SRPA’s Code of Conduct ensures all members conduct legal, ethical and socially responsible Sardine Run expeditionsThe SRPA’s Code of Conduct ensures all members conduct legal, ethical and socially responsible Sardine Run expeditions

GENERAL

All operators and skippers have signed the Code of Conduct (COC)

GENERAL

All vessels / operators are to have the required minimum 10 million public liability cover in place

BOATS

All vessels are to have in-date SAMSA seaworthy / safety certificates.

BOATS

All boats are to have an adequate and comprehensive first aid box

BOATS

Skippers must be correctly and adequately certified to surf launch and have sufficient surf launch experience to have SCUBA divers on board.

BOATS

All skippers are to have suitable experience in animal behavior and functions of how the sardine run works

BOATS

Each boat must have a full and in-date Medical Oxygen cylinder on board.

GUIDES & SKIPPERS

All operators are to have valid Scuba Diving Business operator permit from the correct Governmnt authority, as well as, individual SCUBA diving permits for all divers on board.

GUIDES & SKIPPERS

All dive guides / in-water guides are to have a minimum of Dive Master level qualification, whether guiding qualified scuba divers or snorkelers

GUIDES & SKIPPERS

Dive Guides or Skippers must have in-date basic first aid training.

GUIDES & SKIPPERS

Dive Guide/s must be in the water with clients at all times.

GUIDES & SKIPPERS

Dive guides are to have adequate ocean guide experience with sharks specifically, as well as, have a level of familiarity with animal behavior. 

BAITBALL PROTOCOL

One Sardine Run operator boat per bait ball. If the bait-ball is suitable (determined by size of number of divers in the water) the first arriving operator may invite other operators to deploy divers.

BAITBALL PROTOCOL

Anyone in the water with a Bait-Ball must be wearing black gloves and booties.

BAITBALL PROTOCOL

It is suggested that wetsuit and fin colour be dark in colour and that divers avoid shiny / bright / luminous items of dive gear.

BAITBALL PROTOCOL

All clients must be suitably qualified as a SCUBA diver to SCUBA dive on the sardine run

BAITBALL PROTOCOL

If the bait ball moves away and requires the divers to be collected, another operator may deploy divers if the bait ball becomes static.

BAITBALL PROTOCOL

Should a mobile bait ball take place, boats will take precautions when moving and will be aware of others that may be in the water

BAITBALL PROTOCOL

Divers will be dropped in a specific place and the skipper and dive guide will be vigilant in keeping groups together and boats outside of the immediate area  

BAITBALL PROTOCOL

Boats dropping divers should approach from the sides and not down the main stream of movement where other in-water users may be

PROFESSIONAL FILMING

Should a professional film group be in the water, a filming permit would be in effect

BAITBALL PROTOCOL

The dive group should stay together and stay off the bait ball with the aim of purely observing and not interfering.

SNORKELER PROTOCOL

All in-water snorkelers must have sufficient experience for the activity

SNORKELER PROTOCOL

Snorkelers must, at all times, attempt to keep off the bait ball even though this may move in constantly

SNORKELER PROTOCOL

All snorkelers must remain to one side to allow for natural wildlife behavior to occur.

SCUBA DIVER PROTOCOL

All scuba divers must stay together on one side of the bait-ball. No circling of the bait-ball.

SCUBA DIVER PROTOCOL

If the bait-ball seeks shelter amongst the divers, divers must move a safe distance away.

SCUBA DIVER PROTOCOL

All scuba dives will be led by a dive master and the dive master will carry a sbuoy line / surface marker buoy (SMB) at all times

SCUBA DIVER PROTOCOL

All scuba divers are to carry a SMB in their BCD’s

SCUBA DIVER PROTOCOL

All scuba divers are to practice correct buoyancy control and stay at the same depth as the Dive Master

SCUBA DIVER PROTOCOL

When scuba diving in the deep open ocean on a “big blue dive”, no dive should be deeper than 15m for safety reasons.

SCUBA DIVER PROTOCOL

It is highly recommended that a check-out dive to a depth no deeper than 15m is done on the first day prior to any further in-water activities

SCUBA DIVER PROTOCOL

Divers must be notified about the correct usage of an SMB and how to deploy same

SCUBA DIVER PROTOCOL

Mixed snorkel and SCUBA groups. There must be a guide with SCUBA divers and a seperate guide for snorkelers. Clients canot be left alone in the water unguided. 

DOLPHIN PROTOCOL

No invasive driving through pods of dolphins.

DOLPHIN PROTOCOL

No sharp turns or circling to attract dolphins is allowed.

WHALE PROTOCOL

Boats may not approach closer than 300m from a whale 

WHALE PROTOCOL

No mother/calf pairs will be disturbed or approached in any way.

WEATHER/HOURS PROTOCOL

The sardine run activities take place during daylight hours only

WEATHER/HOURS PROTOCOL

The Sardine Run activities take place in suitable weather conditions and boats return to shore when the weatehr turns and conditions become unsafe

SOCAL RESPONSIBILITY

Adhere to and commit to social upliftment responsibility

SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

Upload socal upliftment projects onto their respective websites

SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

Provide an annual review of the association members efforts in the respective areas

SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

Be open to providing information to assess the impact of each years Sardine Run on the local community and tourism in general

Contact us

To learn more about South Africa’s Sardine Run Professional Assciation, please feel free to contact us via the below form

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