School's Out, Sharks In: Winter school holidays at the Two Oceans Aquarium

20 June, 2025 - Blog, Membership, Events, Experiences, Press Releases

School's out and the sharks are in for an unforgettable winter adventure at the Two Oceans Aquarium from 28 June to 21 July 2025!

When the winter weather keeps you indoors, there's no better place to dive into adventure than the Two Oceans Aquarium. This school holiday, we're celebrating the fascinating world of sharks – not the scary movie monsters, but the incredible diversity of these amazing ocean predators that keep our oceans healthy and thriving. From our famous ragged-tooth sharks to the smaller (and objectively adorable) pyjama catsharks, prepare to discover just how fascinating these misunderstood animals are!

Buy online to skip the ticket office queue

What can you expect during your winter holiday visit?

Cosy up with a winter family day out

Cape Town's winter weather doesn't have to put a damper on your family fun! The Aquarium is the perfect indoor venue where you can escape the cold and wind. After exploring our underwater worlds, warm up with a cup of hot chocolate at our café whilst the kids continue to marvel at the marine life through the large viewing windows. It's the ideal way to spend a winter day together as a family.

Discover our diverse shark family

While our ragged-tooth sharks in the Save Our Seas Foundation Shark Exhibit often steal the show, this holiday, we're encouraging families to explore the full spectrum of shark species throughout the Aquarium. Head to the Kelp Forest Exhibit to spot our spotted gully sharks gliding gracefully through the underwater forest, or visit our smaller exhibits to meet the camouflaged puffadder shysharks and the aptly named pyjama sharks.

Daily activities during the holidays

We have your school holiday plans covered! Join the underwater amazement at the Two Oceans Aquarium with fun and adventure for the whole family. Here's what we have on offer:

Feeding time fun

Join your favourite animals at daily feeding times:

Save Our Seas Foundation Shark Exhibit: Saturdays at 12h00
I&J Ocean Exhibit: Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 12h00
Kelp Forest Exhibit: Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays at 12h00
Penguin Exhibit: Every day at 11h30 and 14h30

Aquarium ray feed Feb 2018 189 750 555 70

Kids' crafts, activities, and puppet shows

The Children’s Play Centre is a favourite for a reason! Throughout the festive season, the Play Centre will offer a variety of fun, shark-themed crafts for your little ones to enjoy and take home!

Be sure to stay for the daily puppet shows at 10h30, 13h30, and 15h30!

Members-only Winter Family Sleepover

Curl up like a catshark – it's our exclusive Members-only Winter Family Sleepover! This fin-tastic overnight adventure is the ultimate shark-themed experience, available on two magical nights during the school holidays:

Saturday, 19 July to Sunday, 20 July 2025 (18h30 - 08h00)
Saturday, 26 July to Sunday, 27 July 2025 (18h30 - 08h00)

Spend the night surrounded by our magnificent sharks and explore your favourite exhibits under the cover of darkness. You'll sleep in the I&J Ocean Exhibit, Save Our Seas Foundation Shark Exhibit, and Kelp Forest Exhibit areas – imagine drifting off to sleep with the gentle sounds of the ocean surrounding you!

Not a member yet? Become one today to access this and other exclusive experiences!

Prizes & Special Offers

Special Offers

Special offers

All our regular special offers continue throughout the winter holidays:

Birthday specialsfor birthday celebrations
Afternoon discounts - visit after 15h00 for reduced day ticket prices
Membership upgrades - love your visit? Upgrade your day ticket to an annual membership at our Visitor's Centre before you leave!

If you're visiting with young children, an annual membership offers fantastic value for regular family outings. Members enjoy unlimited visits, discounts at our Gift Shop and Bootlegger Coffee Company, plus exclusive access to members-only events. It's the perfect investment for ocean-loving families!

Win a family membership!

We love seeing families share their ocean adventures with us! During the school holidays, snap and upload a photo of your visit and you could win annual memberships for your family - that's a year of unlimited visits for 4x people.

How to enter:

Visit the Aquarium during the school holidays (28 June - 21 July 2025)
Take a photo that includes yourself or your family with one of our sharks in the background
Share your photo on TikTok, Instagram, or Facebook and tag @2OceansAquarium in your post
Winners will be selected by a lucky draw and contacted via social media

PADI Winter Special – 10% off dive courses!

Believe it or not, while it might be chilly above the surface, winter is actually one of the best times to learn scuba diving in Cape Town! False Bay offers excellent diving conditions during the winter months, with calmer seas and fantastic visibility.

Our PADI Dive School is running an exciting Winter Special with 10% off selected dive courses – perfect for boosting your underwater skills during the school holidays! This limited-time offer is available until 31 August 2025.

Courses included in the Winter Special:

PADI Open Water Course - 10% off
PADI Advanced Open Water Course - 10% off
PADI Rescue Diver Course - 10% off
Emergency First Response (EFR) Course - 10% off

How to book: Email diveschool@aquarium.co.za to secure your spot. Spaces are Learn more here.

What else is happening during the winter?

Trash Bash beach cleanup - 19 July

Ocean lovers, join us for our monthly Trash Bash beach cleanup on Saturday, 19 July 2025, from 09h00 to 11h00 at Sunset Beach. This isn't just any beach cleanup – it's a vital citizen science project that helps protect our marine environment!

Rain or shine, we'll be there making a difference for our marine environment. It's a fantastic way to give back to the ocean while connecting with like-minded ocean lovers in our community.

Ocean Campus holiday courses

Looking for something extra special to enrich your child's holidays? Our Two Oceans Aquarium Foundation Ocean Campus is offering exciting educational courses during the winter break!

Grade 7 Smart Living course

This engaging and interactive course for Grade 7s explores how our daily lives connect to the natural environment. From the water flowing through our taps to the electricity fuelling our appliances, learners discover the significance of environmental preservation, energy conservation, waste reduction, and responsible water use. The course features exciting hands-on activities and includes a fascinating excursion!

Ocean Funatics course (Grades 2 – 3)

Foundation Phase parents, this one's for you! Ocean Funatics is all about diving into the incredible world of ocean animals. Your little ones will discover fascinating creatures that can camouflage and even construct their very own cosy homes! This course turns learning into an exciting adventure through hands-on activities and creative arts and crafts. If your child loves nature and enjoys getting artsy, this course will be an absolute blast!

After Dark concerts are back!

Don't miss our magical After Dark concert series! On 30 July 2025, we'll be hosting an intimate acoustic evening featuring Visitors Centre and Carla Franco in the atmospheric setting of our I&J Ocean Exhibit.

Doors open at 18h30, giving you the perfect opportunity to explore the Aquarium when the lights are low and the marine life takes on a completely different character. The first act takes the stage at 20h00, with the second performance at 21h00. With only 180 tickets available, this unique musical experience sells out fast – so book early!