The 2025 Season; A Thank You, A Reflection… and a Little Reality Check from the Crew

Wow — what a year! 2025 gave us incredible bookings, fantastic guests, and more adventure than even we expected. We’re so grateful to everyone who joined us on the journey — each splash, sighting, and shared laugh made it unforgettable.

Behind the scenes though? Let’s just say, by the end of it, our crew were well-marinated in exhaustion.A typical Sardine Safari day looks something like this: alarms blaring at 4:30 a.m. (earlier for Baz, Josh, and Mark — legends, truly). We head to the BnB in the dark, coffee in one hand, boat keys in the other. Aldo does his rounds — engines checked, safety gear packed, flasks filled, and cooler bags loaded.

Back at base, breakfast is set up, coffee brewed (non-negotiable), and the sleepy guests start to wander down. Wetsuits go on — cue the traditional “eww, it’s still wet!” chorus — and before long, the excitement kicks in. Once logs are signed and cameras packed, it’s off to the beach.

Some mornings we’re greeted by dolphins in the surf — not a bad way to start the day. Aldo gives his boat briefing, Baz follows with his signature Oscar-worthy safety speech, and then it’s go time. The crew launch the boat the good old South African way — hands, sand, and pure determination — and before you can say “GoPro on?”, they’re over the breakers and on the backline.

Then, it’s back to base for the rest of us — cleaning, prepping, cooking, resetting — all while keeping an ear out for the “We’re on our way back!” call. By the time the boats return, the guests are smiling (we hope), the showers are hot, and dinner’s already underway.

Evenings are our favourite part — long tables, family-style meals, laughter, stories, and photos from the day’s adventures. Guests drift off to bed soon after dessert… while the crew get back to work. Kitchens cleaned, lunches prepped, coolers stocked, and, in Baz’s case, a late-night fuel run — all before another dark-thirty start.

It’s relentless, it’s exhausting… and it’s completely worth it. Seeing those smiles and hearing that post-dive excitement keeps us going every single season.

Now, a little truth bomb: we’re guests of Mother Nature out there — not her bosses. Some years, she’s generous with the sardines. Other years, not so much. 2025 was a wild one — the first nets dropped in May (an early start!) and the season stretched on beautifully. But even when the sardines are netted, they don’t always come out to play on cue.

Sardines like cold water, and this year, the sea decided to stay on the warmer side — lovely for you in a wetsuit, not so lovely for sardines. But where they hide, the ocean fills in the gaps — whales, dolphins, manta rays, and yes, penguins (true story!).

So here’s the thing — when you book a Sardine Safari, you’re booking a wild adventure. The ocean isn’t scripted. Sometimes it gives you the show of a lifetime, and sometimes it gives you a plot twist. Either way, it’s magic.

And for 99% of our guests — you get it, you laugh, you roll with it, and we love you for that.For the 1% who maybe didn’t get the sardine cameo they were hoping for — we see you too. We know it’s disappointing. But please remember, your crew is out there every day, rain or shine, doing absolutely everything possible to make your trip unforgettable. When the mood dips, it doesn’t just weigh on you — it ripples through the whole boat.

So let’s keep the good vibes afloat, always. We’re here to make your experience incredible — and a little patience and positivity go a long way in helping us do that.

To everyone who joined us this year — thank you from the bottom of our salty hearts. You’ve made 2025 one to remember.

Until next time — stay adventurous, stay salty, and keep an eye on that horizon.

Mic drop.

See you in 2026.