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Tracking the Lost Years: A second release in the Agulhas Current
In January, a collaborative team of researchers from the Two Oceans Aquarium Foundation and Upwell motored out into the swift Agulhas Current and released 12 tiny loggerhead turtles, each fitted with a satellite tag on their carapace.
Three reasons African penguins face extinction – and three ways you can help.
Happy World Penguin Day! Today, we are celebrating a penguin close to our hearts: the African penguin. This charismatic seabird is endemic to South Africa and Namibia – an iconic species and a special sighting at Boulder’s Beach and Betty’s Bay. However, their numbers are declining dramatically. Unless we do something about it, the African penguin will be functionally extinct by 2035. Thanks to the #NOOW African penguin campaign, here are three reasons the African penguin faces extinction and three ways YOU can save them.
Meet Sage, a rare olive ridley turtle at the Turtle Conservation Centre
When our Turtle Rescue Network received a call about an injured turtle stranded in the De Hoop Marine Protected Area, we did not expect that the turtle in question would be a rare olive ridley - a species not often seen by the rehabilitation team at the Two Oceans Aquarium!
Swimmers complete 11km ocean crossing to help endangered turtles – and their journey isn’t over
A group of determined open-water swimmers successfully completed an extraordinary 11km ocean crossing from Robben Island to Granger Bay on 25 April 2026, raising vital funds and awareness for endangered sea turtles at our Turtle Conservation Centre.
Tracking our Turtles: Nori visits the waters near St Helena island
Nori, a green turtle who was in rehabilitation at the Turtle Conservation Centre for about two years, was released into the crystal clear waters of De Hoop Marine Protected Area in November 2025.
Ocean Campus teacher takes the helm at MCEN Western Cape
The Two Oceans Aquarium Foundation’s Ocean Campus is proud to celebrate one of our very own educators Anzio Abels, who has officially been voted in as the new Western Cape regional chairperson for the Marine and Coastal Educators Network.
A courageous recovery: Habanero, the rescued loggerhead turtle, underwent a flipper amputation
At the Turtle Conservation Centre in Cape Town, every turtle undergoing rehabilitation receives dedicated, specialised care from our veterinary team, even when this involves making tough decisions. For Habanero, one of our rescued loggerhead turtles, that journey recently led to a major surgery that would ultimately give him the best possible chance at recovery.
Rescued loggerhead turtle Kai is released after six years of rehabilitation at our Turtle Conservation Centre
The Turtle Conservation Centre at the Two Oceans Aquarium recently celebrated a poignant milestone for one of our long-term rehabilitation patients. Kai, a juvenile loggerhead turtle rescued as a fragile hatchling in 2020, has finally returned to his ocean home!
The Two Oceans Aquarium is hosting this year’s International Zoo Educators’ Conference: Here’s what you need to know
In October 2026, the Two Oceans Aquarium is hosting the International Zoo Educators Association (IZE) Conference. Here's everything you need to know about the conference, and why it matters.
Birdmouth wrasse
Birdmouth wrasses are small, elongated fish that display strong sexual dimorphism (males and females look different). Males are vivid blue-green with yellowed fins. Their snouts grow disproportionately long, often with bulbous protrusions. Females are significantly smaller, with comparatively drab colouration. They are yellow-brown with white underparts. Their snouts are also elongated, but more slender than the male’s. Birdmouth wrasses use their elongated snouts, which have small mouths on the end, to prey on small invertebrates in cracks and crevices. They are abundant around Indian Ocean reefs, particularly on the African coast.Short-spined urchin
Short-spined urchins are large, well-rounded sea urchins, completely covered in short, white spines. Long tube-feet extend well beyond their spines.They inhabit beds of seaweed, where they use their tiny tube-feet to camouflage themselves by holding straps of seaweed, rocks or other debris over their bodies (as pictured). This behaviour gives them their international name of “collector urchin”.Short-spined urchins are opportunistic feeders, and feed voraciously on algae, seagrass and bacterial mats. Their behaviour is unaffected by the day-night cycle, and this is unusual amongst urchin species. This unusual behaviour has made short-spined urchins useful for rehabilitating coral reefs which have been infested by alien seaweed species.These urchins are nutritious and edible – regularly preyed upon by humans, octopuses and puffer fish.Boxfish
The yellow boxfish may be small, but it packs a punch! This little fish is the type species for the genus Ostracion – this means it is the “base” species for the boxfish family and is permanently the first association with the genus. Ostracion means “little box” and describes its cube-like body. Its species name, cubicum, refers to its boxy shape.