Mission accomplished: Land Rover ambassador Monty Halls completes 1000km Shoals of Agulhas Expedition

• Land Rover Ambassador and celebrated marine biologist #montyhalls returns after successful ‘Shoals of Agulhas’ expedition in South Africa
• 15 day 1000km journey from Port Elizabeth to Durban completed using a fleet of #landrover Defenders, Discovery  and Discovery Sports towing 1.5 tonne boats and navigating miles of challenging terrain
• Shark genetic sampling data gathered to be used in on-going population ecology studies for South Africa Shark Conservancy
• Expedition assisted the work of #landrover partners, Born Free Foundation and Kingsley Holgate Foundation

Land Rover ambassador #montyhalls has completed an expedition to the Eastern Cape, South Africa, to experience first-hand one of the world’s most spectacular marine events tracking the coastal sardine run. Supported by Land Rover, marine biologist Halls embarked on the ‘Shoals of Agulhas’ to attempt to tag and obtain DNA Samples from the marine predators that feed on the millions of sardines spawning in the cool waters.

The 15 day, 1000km trip saw the team navigating rugged coastal roads around the eastern coast of South Africa supported by a fleet of ten #landrover Defender, Discovery and Discovery Sport vehicles carrying expedition kit. Additionally, two boats were towed the entire journey, enabling the team to enter the water along the coast to track the sardines and marine life.

Monty Halls commented “The Sardine Run is a truly iconic event amongst naturalists, divers, and adventurers. The biomass of the shoals, along with the attendant predators that follow in their wake, matches the Serengeti which hosts the largest terrestrial mammal migration on earth.    To seek out these vast aggregations of sardines as they work their way up the eastern coast of South Africa has been one of my lifetime ambitions, and the reality certainly matched the many years of expectation. To track the sardines we used a fleet of Land Rovers, transporting kit and towing boats for 1000 kilometers along the most challenging, stark and beautiful coastal landscape I have ever seen. Launching the boats alone was a monumental challenge, but once we had negotiated narrow river inlets and huge surf, we were in another world. The expedition encountered breaching humpback whales, vast flocks of Cape Gannets, cruising sharks, and - most memorably of all - a super pod of four thousand common dolphins racing along the shoreline seeking out the sardines. A great expedition, a great team, a magnificent spectacle - the memories will last a lifetime.”

The team, which included shark expert Meaghan McCord from the South African Shark Conservancy alongside expedition leader Monty Halls, led the programme of sampling and shark-tagging.  McCord said “The goal was to gather as much data as we could through shark tagging, DNA sampling and photography.  We spent five days on the water really working the seas hard by chumming and were able to catch a Bronze Whaler shark and tag it, take the DNA samples and then safely release it. This kind of programme allows us to understand not only more about the sardine run itself but to track the marine life’s activity once it’s over. We have already shared the genetic samples collected with Stellenbosch University for use in ongoing population ecology studies and started monitoring shark movement along the coast at the South African Shark Conservancy and Oceanographic Research Institute (ORI) using the tagging data. All of this information will provide a greater understanding of the lives of marine predators and contribute to the conservation of the species.”

The expedition also provided an opportunity to explore the work of two other #landrover partners based in South Africa, the Born Free Foundation and the Kingsley Holgate Foundation.  The Born Free Foundation at Shamwari serves as home for a large number of the rescued big cats that are brought back to their natural habitat to live their lives in the peaceful surroundings of the reserve.  Whilst experiencing a day in the life of the Shamwari staff, the team assisted with the administering of a contraceptive injection to an 8 year old lioness named Marina, ensuring that she won’t attract the unwanted attentions of wild lions in the surrounding areas.  

Kingsley Holgate is one of Africa’s most colourful modern-day explorers, a humanitarian adventurer who strives to change lives through adventure.  Whilst passing through Coffee Bay the expedition team made time to visit a rural school to introduce the pupils to his campaigns and encourage the youth to have a voice in the protection and survival of their critically endangered native Rhinos. The Kingsley Holgate Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation which has played a vital role in improving South African life, including distributing water purification systems, malaria nets and reading glasses to rural communities.