Dead sardines have washed ashore along the Gqeberha coastline, prompting a fresh investigation by authorities.
The tide came in last week carrying thousands of dead sardines onto South Africa's south coast and by dawn, stretches of Gqeberha's shoreline were flecked with silver.
Along Hobie and Pollock beaches, bewildered residents watched as waves deposited more fish on the sand, fuelling fears that a virus linked to devastating sardine die-offs overseas may be at work.
"It was a heartbreaking sight," local environmental group Algoa Bay Conservation said.
Calls soon flooded marine scientists' offices.
