It's likely that you are familiar with the great annual migration of millions of wildebeest and zebra that make their way through the Serengeti and the Masai Mara. You may have heard of the great annual sardine run that takes place in May through July along South Africa's Eastern Cape and Kwa-Zulu Natal coast. Literally billions of fish gang together for safety as they swim up the coast, eagerly chased by birds, sharks, seals and even penguins. But it's unlikely that you've heard about the parrotfish run. I had not heard about this fishy event until quite recently.
The parrotfish run takes place every year between June and August, just upstream from the Victoria Falls where the river marks the border between Zambia from Zimbabwe. With the long rains over, millions of fish from the floodplains get pulled downstream by the main river current. Once they hit some smaller rapids, they're easy catch for fisherman waiting with baskets. So easy in fact, that there's a bit of a party atmosphere along the banks during this time of plenty. Here are some fun facts I've discovered about this colorful migration...
The Parrotfish Run
- Involves millions of parrotfish swimming downstream
- Parrot fish tend to show up on the darkest nights
- Parrotfish are bottom feeders and have relatively large brains
- Parrotfish belong to the elephant fish family - Mormyridae
- Local families have specific channels only they can fish from during the bonanza
- Fish are caught using baskets strung from mopane trees
- The full baskets are loaded into dugout canoes and brought to the main river bank for sale
- Parrotfish are a great source of cooking fat
- The best place to witness the event is from the Royal Chundu Lodge
More About: The Sardine Run l The Great Annual Migration l Victoria Falls
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