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Strides towards the future: Work Integrated Learning programme at the Two Oceans Aquarium
The Two Oceans Aquarium in Cape Town has been involved in marine research throughout its 27-year existence. We work with Higher Education Institutes, researchers and scientists from formal conservation bodies and research institutes, Government research departments, and other aquariums. In 2018 the Two Oceans Aquarium signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) with the following aims and objectives: To collaborate on research projects in the fields of marine science and conservation research and technology development, training, and capacity building.
Unlimited visits to the Two Oceans Aquarium - the gift that keeps on giving
What's better than gifting someone a Two Oceans Aquarium ticket? Giving them an entire year of unlimited Aquarium visits!
An annual membership to the Two Oceans Aquarium is fantastic value, and the ideal gift for young ocean-lovers, anyone who loves the quiet of a daily delve into the underwater world, or families that love indulging their curiosity. With a whole year of possibility, it's one gift you can be sure won't be forgotten at the end of the month!
Decide to start: Make a conscious decision to protect Bob’s home
As you may know, beloved Bob the green turtle is on track to be released back into the ocean after eight years of rehabilitation - recovering from severe injury as a result of accidentally eating plastic pollution. This means that we will no longer be able to protect him from the human-made hazards of the ocean, which still has the same dangers he faced in the past - so, it is up to all of us to make a difference. We need to protect Bob's home.
Follow tracks of released turtles Pan and Donny
Pan and Donny are sea turtles that were recently released off different parts of the South African coastline, after successful rehabilitation under the care of the Two Oceans Aquarium Foundation. Each of these turtles has been fitted with a satellite tracking tag, which will allow us (and you to follow their ocean journeys and see where these three incredible animals go - providing valuable information for the conservation of this species in South Africa.
In the underwater world, the only things keeping you down are your weights
Learning to scuba dive or freedive unlocks this secret hidden world of natural beauty, making it accessible to so many people. And it doesn't take much to get started - some basic skills, which you can learn at our Dive School, a few items of equipment like Bright Weights to help you stay below the surface and a wetsuit to keep you warm, and a keen sense of adventure. Let's take a look at some of the underwater experiences our visitors have had during this past year.
Clothing and its danger to our oceans (and how to prevent it)
We all wear clothing. It is an essential item that is produced, sold, and bought on a large scale. However, have you ever considered that your relationship with clothes could have a negative impact on our oceans and marine animals? Well, it can and it does! There are several ways that our relationship with clothing contributes to the threat that our oceans are currently facing - but they are quite easy to prevent with a few simple actions we can take.
Time to throw away the "throw away" culture
Until now, our spending behaviour is quite linear – we buy; we use; we throw away. This might be the most convenient way to go about it, but the billions of tons of waste generated are quickly coming back to haunt us!
Plastic enemies of our oceans
The festive season is here, and the celebrations are well underway – and where there are celebrations, there are usually gifts, balloons, and decorations to bring it all together. It is important to remember that while you’re having fun and letting loose, the items and materials we use can be extremely damaging to our ocean and marine life.
69 endangered sea turtles returned to the ocean after successful rehabilitation
The sea turtle rehabilitation team of the Two Oceans Aquarium Foundation released 69 rehabilitated turtles approximately 45 nautical miles south of Hout Bay or 12 December 2022. The turtles were all rehabilitated at the Two Oceans Aquarium over the last year after being found stranded on Western Cape beaches. The group that was released included 65 hatchlings, one hawksbill, and three green turtles.
Meet Jemma and Harper: Our new ragged-tooth sharks
The Two Oceans Aquarium prides itself on ethically collecting and releasing many of our animals - and our ragged-tooth sharks are no different. We recently welcomed two new ragged-tooth sharks, who arrived at the Aquarium after being safely collected and transported by our collections team. We are excited to introduce you to Jemma and Harper, who are now housed in the Save Our Seas Foundation Shark Exhibit.
Following the turtle travels of Turbo - in partnership with Greenfish
Turbo is one of our recently-released released rehabilitated sea turtles. Turbo was released as part of a cohort off of the Cape Peninsula on 12 December 2022.
Turbo is a sub-adult green sea turtle, fitted with a satellite tracker tag sponsored by Greenfish. Before his release, we carefully attached the SPOT tag from Wildlife Computers to Turbo's carapace using steel putty, epoxy, fibreglass and an anti-fouling spray. Careful effort was made to ensure that the tag was perfectly attached and secure - but as time goes on, the tag is planned to fall off as Turbo sheds the outer layers of his shell during growth (just like your skin).
We're very excited to be able to track Turbo, as turtles of this young age aren't as well-studied as their older counterparts, so this could reveal information about their migration paths that are poorly understood!
Everything you need to know about abalone
Abalone, or perlemoen as it is known in South Africa, is the name for a group of large, flat sea snails of the genus Haliotis. That may not sound remarkable, but abalone has come to champion marine conservation by showing the world the dangers of overfishing.