Paul Hepker

Every winter, billions of sardines embark on a perilous journey along South Africa’s Wild Coast. To science, this is an “ecological trap” a mass migration driven by ancient genetics that often leads into predator-rich, warm waters. To the indigenous people of South Africa, it is a sacred inheritance, a seasonal pulse of life that connects the community to the rhythm of the ancestors and the sea. Two young marine scientists go on a journey to explore the sardine run and interrogate their cultural beliefs alongside their scientific knowledge.

Every winter, billions of sardines embark on a perilous journey along South Africa’s Wild Coast. To science, this is an “ecological trap” a mass migration driven by ancient genetics that often leads into predator-rich, warm waters. To the indigenous people of South Africa, it is a sacred inheritance, a seasonal pulse of life that connects the community to the rhythm of the ancestors and the sea. Two young marine scientists go on a journey to explore the sardine run and interrogate their cultural beliefs alongside their scientific knowledge.