Search

Meet the black musselcracker, one of the most iconic species in our I&J Ocean Exhibit, and one of the fish most often commented on by our visitors. "Look at its big nose!" "It looks so grumpy!" "It looks like an old man!" Despite its unique look, there's nothing grumpy about this fish - the black musselcracker is an important member of the South African coastal ecosystem.

On 13 July 2021, a 50kg female loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) was delivered into the capable hands of the Two Oceans Aquarium Foundation's turtle team. She was found stranded near Gansbaai, entangled in a ghost fishing net. Sea turtles breathe air, so becoming entangled in abandoned fishing gear can easily result in them drowning - this turtle was very lucky that she washed up before that could happen. She was named Nobomvu, a reference to the unusual red tint of her shell that was caused by tiny microorganisms living on her carapace. Initial health checks indicated no immediately obvious injuries, but the stress of partial drowning, dehydration, and possibly drifting in the sun can have internal effects (as we saw with Anette, another rescued entangled sea turtle), so Nobomvu will receive close care over the coming months to be sure she is 100% healthy before being released.

When walking through the Turtle Rescue, Rehabilitation and Release Programme's recovery areas, it's easy to get wrapped up in the conservation stories affecting the precious endangered sea turtles being cared for by their amazing team. But, as important as those stories are, there are also a lot of interesting things going on - so let's look at five of the unexpectedly interesting things we learn from these turtles and their carers:

It's that time of year when Grade 9 learners are making some very important decisions, picking high school subjects that could affect their futures! We'd like to remind kids, parents and teachers that there's a new subject choice available for 2022 - Marine Sciences! High school Marine Sciences is being offered in certain node schools, but it is further available online as an additional subject under the tutelage of the Two Oceans Aquarium Foundation. Here's how Grade 9 learners can apply for the Marines Sciences school subject online for 2022:

Brainless, heartless, spineless, and 95% water - jellyfish don't seem to have much going for them. But with over half a billion years of success, and making up a third of all ocean biomass, there's clearly something more to these animals than they get credit for. Let's take a look as some of the superpowers that help jellies rule the ocean.

There's no doubt that octopuses are the ultimate masters of camouflage. With the ability to rapidly change their colours and shape, the intelligence to use their environment to their advantage, and the skill to mimic other objects, octopuses are ink-credible!

If you've had the chance to meet Ann Lamont, the Two Oceans Aquarium Foundation's new Executive Chairperson, you'll know that passion and love for the oceans are at the heart of the organisation's leadership. Ann took the reigns of the Foundation in April 2020, taking on the role from outgoing chair Maryke Musson. The Two Oceans Aquarium Foundation is the NPO / PBO partner of the Two Oceans Aquarium and focuses on education, conservation and research work.

A significant portion of conservation is the creation of awareness around conservation issues, but we don't really talk about "creating awareness" much. The reality is that awareness is the most important part of our mission - we'd rather NOT hear the stories of turtles that don't need to be rescued, than have to tell the stories about turtles that do.

Capetonians comparing the recent cold weather to Antarctica might be on to something. An Antarctic leopard seal has come ashore at Kommetjie! Leopard seals are native to Antarctica - in fact, they are one of the world's most successful apex predators! Although young leopard seals sometimes range further north, leaving the Antarctic pack ice to the Southern Ocean Islands where there is less competition, it is exceedingly rare for them to come as far northas South Africa - fewer than 20 have ever been spotted in our waters! Little is known about why these vagrant leopard seals come to South Africa - we don't even know if they are different seals, or if some are return visitors. At the request of the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Agriculture, two of our team members headed to Kommetjie to tag this seal so that it can be easily identified if it is ever sighted again elsewhere in the world.

Sharks might seem mysterious, but that's because they are hiding a secret identity - they are Ocean Superheroes. For 450 million years, sharks have kept the oceans thriving and healthy. During this time, other organisms from seagrass to snails, have adapted to thrive in an ecosystem that includes sharks. However, because of their undeserved bad reputation, people seem to turn a blind eye to the hundreds of millions of sharks that are killed by humans every year. it doesn't matter whether you're a shark lover or a shark hater, you are almost certainly dependent on a healthy biosphere and economy - and sharks are hugely important in protecting it. Let's find out how.

Visitors to the Seapoint Promenade over the past few weeks may have noticed a new addition - a mural featuring our very own legend, Bob the green sea turtle, at the Pavilion Rotary Park. What you might not know is that the creator of this design is none other than our resident creative genius, Graphic Designer Jessica Sloan, who came up with the artwork after being approached by the Waterfront Rotaract, who went on to make it a reality!

Our waters are filled with Ocean Superheroes, animals of all shapes and sizes that are equipped with unique superpowers to help them survive and thrive in the underwater world! These school holidays, we're celebrating the special powers of ocean animals on our social media platforms and inside the Two Oceans Aquarium with some awesome new comic book-inspired signage! Plus: There are some amazing events you can attend with us!