Research Expedition Report- Chintsa, Eastern Cape, May 2026
Posted by on May 28, 2026
This is the report of a short expedition focused on white sharks in Chintsa during May 2026
Dr Sara Andreotti and I (Dr Enrico Gennari) embarked in this short field trip to Chintsa with three main aims:
- Collecting data and trying to confirm some patterns already observed last year when we tagged 4 white sharks in Chintsa with both satellite and acoustic transmitters
- Engaging with, and most importantly listening to, local communities about what they see, what they know etc…
- Thinking of a possible longer-term study to address many questions that both us but also the local communities have.
We worked in the Chintsa area from the 23rd to the 26th of May. Four days is just a very short expedition and we can’t extrapolate too much, but we can still read some clues.
We encountered 6 white sharks and identified 5 of them with photo-ID.
Their dorsal fins are like a fingerprint (unique to each individual). We use a combination of the notches on the trailing edge of the fin and the black pigmentation on both sides to recognise individual white sharks.
Day 1: 23/05/2026
Location 1: 3.5km South-East from Chinsta West
Duration: 3 hours
White sharks: 0
Day 2: 24/05/2026
Location 1: middle of Chintsa Bay 3km offshore South-East
Duration: 3 hours
White sharks: 0
Location 2: 1.5km South-East from Kefani 1
Duration: 2 hours and 17 minutes
White sharks: 0
Location 3: 3km East from Chinsta West
Duration: 15 minutes (wind forced us to leave)
White sharks: 2
2.5m with blue satellite tag on the left side, sex unknown, no photo-id;
2.8m sex unknown
Day 3: 25/05/2026
Location 1: 1.5km South-East from Kefani 2
Duration: 2 hours
White sharks: 0
Location 2: 1km offshore near West boundary of Amathole MPA
Duration: 2 hours
White sharks: 0
Location 3: 3km East from Chinsta West
Duration: 1,5 hours
White sharks: 0 (wind forced us to leave)
Day 4: 26/05/2026
Location 1: 3km East from Chinsta West
Duration: 3 hours
White sharks: 4
3.2 Female
2.5 Female
3.8m Male
3.5m Male
Over 17 hours of effort to attract white sharks next to our vessel, we encountered a total of 6 individual white sharks: two the second day and four the fourth day. Nevertheless, during the first and third day, even though we worked over 4 different locations we did not see any white shark. We worked in the same areas where other researchers tagged few white sharks few weeks before.
Chintsa is likely the last remaining area in South Africa where one can predictably see white sharks, but does it mean there are dozens and dozens white sharks all the times? Most likely not. Those occasions where more than 40 white sharks were spotted over several km of coastline, were likely related to the co-occurrence of the sardine run, where many predators congregate. We don't exclude that there could be moments with higher numbers of white sharks but Chintsa does not seem to be “infested” by white sharks (as I have heard a couple of times already), otherwise we would have had white sharks in large numbers, every single day: 2 out of the 4 days we had nothing. Interestingly the only location we found white sharks (offshore Chintsa West) did not have white sharks every time and was not the same location the other researchers told us they had found white sharks last time.
Video: white shark around boat
We averaged around 0.4 white sharks per unit of effort (i.e., number of identified individual white sharks divided by the hours spent chumming). This was a very similar result compared to the expedition last year when we encountered 6 white sharks (of which we tagged 4) over 3 days. These numbers are no way close to the numbers encountered when white sharks were regularly sighted in False Bay, Gansbaai or Mossel Bay, more than 10 years ago, when in 3 hours we could identify more than 30 different individuals around our boats (thus 10 white sharks per unit of effort).
As also observed in other areas, it does not seem a “resident” white shark exists in Chintsa. As evidenced from the photo-id and observed markings on the animals, the white sharks seen during the second day were different than the ones seen during the fourth day. Also, as already mentioned, we did not see any white sharks in the same location on the third day. If a white shark was resident, we should have seen it every day.
During those four days, white sharks seemed to prefer the area in front of Chintsa West. That does not mean it is like that every day (as confirmed on day 3) or across seasons. White sharks move a lot, all the times.
However, we want to reiterate, the information presented here is just initial evidence, because such a short field trip can’t give us certainties, yet.
Interesting note: did you know that not all white sharks have the same colour (as you can see in the photo below) and sometimes their colouration may change over few days?
Nevertheless, the most important data obtained in these 4 days was that we learned a lot from the local people. We had a fantastic discussion at Buccaneers Sunday evening. After a full day at sea, we were quite tired and we wanted to just mingle and chat with locals. It was not supposed to be a talk but it quickly became one, as we were so warmly engaged by locals, as well as by tourists (international and national) and we loved the questions, insights and discussions that people engaged us with.
Also, by working with the local Captain Gary Arnold (by the way, thanks Gary for allowing us to use your vessel for free: you are a star!!!!), we have quite a good idea of why white sharks are likely choosing Chintsa as an aggregation area: there is plenty of food (fish and smaller sharks, we have seen them both) and there are peculiar environmental conditions. We have in fact learned from Gary of some very interesting current patterns around the bay which could explain the presence of white sharks for prolonged periods of the year, even when the water temperature is quite high (for a white shark point of view). It would have taken us years to figure it out by ourselves.
Also, even if limited, by running a short fish survey with Gary, we have collected data on the amazing biodiversity and biomass that characterise this stretch of coastline from East London to the Amatole MPA. Like for instance those two massive male catsharks: a leopard catshark and a pajama catshark, two species that can be found only in (=endemic of) South Africa! We released them, don't worry :)
We witnessed evidence the MPAs are working here! Not necessary because of strict enforcement by conservation agencies only, but also because of the lack of commercial fishing and, likely most importantly, because the local fishing clubs are looking after the resources, their own “resources”, as we heard. In this area, you can clearly feel a sense of ownership: “we need to keep the fish for our long-term enjoyment of fishing” and we are very happy with that approach!
It was incredible, when we anchored just outside the Amathole MPA, we saw the large presence of juvenile fish, normally hammered in other areas of South Africa, which instead are thriving here. The so called "spillover effect" of MPAs was happening under our own eyes. Well done to the local fishers and this community, a fantastic long-term approach!
We, as researchers, are obviously interested in figuring out what is happening to the white population of southern Africa. Is the population declining? Is the distribution just shifting? All important questions we are trying to answer by gathering more insights using a combination of photo-ID, genetic sampling and tagging. However, those methods can’t really answer the many questions that the local community really wants to see answered. For instance, are white sharks staying within this area the whole year? Where? How many white sharks can be in this bay? What parts of the bay white sharks use the most and is it the same all-year-around? Satellite tagging and genetics won’t help with that, unfortunately.
That is why the third aim of this field trip: to assess the feasibility of a long-term study. We have found a couple of boats which we can use. We have found some sponsors who can help with fuel. This is a fantastic start of a community collaboration where scientists work together with, and for, local people. Thus, while we are now thinking of how to set up this project and the kind of research questions to answer, we still need to sort out few things.
We are looking for a local student interested in a postgraduate study, focusing not only on white sharks, but with a broader ecological approach: if you know of a local student, from the local community, who can commit time and effort at sea and contribute to knowledge which can be used also by the local communities (surfers, fishers, and nature lovers in general), please let us know. It will have to be a collaborative approach: WESSA and the East London museum are already interested.
We are also still looking for sponsors to provide a bursary for that student and to cover the field costs of the research;
Finally, we are also looking for local pilots (of either drones, microlights, or small airplanes) willing to donate their time to run a standardised transect, potentially from East London to the Amathole MPA (or parts of), regularly (once every couple of weeks).
The aim of this collaborative work is not just for pure science or for publications, but mainly
- to provide data to our government which can be used to better protect white sharks for generations to come;
- to provide information usable by local communities in an effort to reduce the potential human-shark conflict, as we believe we can coexist even with great white sharks without killing them all;
- to provide information which can be useful for the local communities to better conserve the incredible biodiversity this stretch of coastline still has
Let’s work together!
Dr Enrico Gennari (Oceans Research Institute, Rhodes University and SAIAB)
Dr Sara Andreotti (SCAR, Stellenbosch University)