Meet The Two Oceans Aquarium Road Trip Team Along The Garden Route This February
From 16 to 23 February, the Two Oceans Aquarium Foundation’s Turtle Conservation Centre team will be embarking on their 2026 Turtle Road Trip along the Garden Route and Southern Cape coastlines. The trip aims to engage with key role players in turtle rescue along the route, as well as to spread awareness for the turtle stranding season.
“The Road Trip is about connecting with established and new partners to further the knowledge and know-how around turtle rescues along our coasts. At the Turtle Conservation Centre, we believe that the passion and interest of various organisations and members of the public along South Africa’s coast are an essential part of the turtle conservation work that we do,” stressed Talitha Noble-Trull, Turtle Conservation Centre Manager.
The Turtle Road Trip is a collaborative effort led by the Two Oceans Aquarium’s Turtle Conservation Centre team, who travel along the Western Cape coastline ahead of the annual "turtle hatchling stranding season" that starts towards the end of March every year. This passionate team shares inspiring stories about endangered sea turtles, the importance of rescue efforts, and the rehabilitation journey that prepares them for release back into the wild.
Starting in Plettenberg Bay on 16 February, the Road Trip team will work their way down the coast towards Cape Town, making stops along the way to engage with interested members of the public, touch base with well-established members of the Turtle Rescue Network, and encourage new members to join.
The team urges everyone curious about sea turtles to visit them at the following events:
Date | Place | Venue |
16 February | Plettenberg Bay | Beacon Isle Hotel |
17 February | Sedgefield | Scarab Market |
18 February | Mossel Bay | Delfino's at the Point |
19 February | Stilbaai | NSRI station |
21 February | Struisbaai | Harbour Cafe and Beach Bar |
22 February | Gansbaai | Great White House |
23 February | Betty’s Bay | Coffee on Clarence |
*All events will take place in the afternoons. Keep an eye on Two Oceans Aquarium Foundation socials for updates.
During the stranding season, 100s of tiny baby turtles are stranded on the beaches of the Western Cape after the weather pushes them out of the warm Agulhas Current. They need to be found and safely brought to the Turtle Conservation Centre, where they are nursed back to health and prepared for release. This is where the growing Turtle Rescue Network and caring members of the public are essential.
“The Western Cape coastline boasts an incredible Turtle Rescue Network of over 2 000 people who are making a real difference to turtle conservation in South Africa. The Road Trip is an opportunity to meet these people face-to-face and show our appreciation,” said Tracy Whitehead, Turtle Rescue Network Coordinator.
Keep an eye open for their branded vehicle and follow the Aquarium’s social media channels for more information and up-to-date event details.
