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Where do you spend your lost years, little turtle?
In late October, a collaborative team of researchers from Two Oceans Aquarium and Upwell took a boat into the swift Agulhas Current, the southwest boundary current of the Indian Ocean that runs down the east coast of South Africa. There, they released 12 tiny loggerhead turtles with satellite tags attached to their carapaces in an effort to understand how these turtles are using this oceanic highway. Can they swim through it? Does their positioning influence which ocean basin they end up in? What a wonderful opportunity to learn of time that is otherwise lost to the ocean’s depths.
Back to School: Start the year with a lesson at the Two Oceans Aquarium
Getting out of the traditional classroom and visiting the Two Oceans Aquarium is a great way to augment the learning experience. The Two Oceans Aquarium Foundation's Education team opens a whole new world of interactive learning for the students in your care! From preschool to matric, we have a wide variety of expertly designed and curriculum-relevant lessons ready for your class. Take your pick!
Meet the elephant seals visiting Cape Town's beaches
Cape Town’s shores have recently been graced by some fascinating (and rather large) visitors from the South Atlantic Ocean: Southern elephant seals! This is a unique opportunity to learn more about a seal species very different to our local Cape fur seals, so let's dive in...
Globally recognised teen says the Ocean Campus sparked her marine conservation journey
Tahirah Naicker might come across as an ordinary South African teenager who will be writing her matric exams in 2025. But it just takes a little bit of conversation and a look at her National Geographic cap to realise she’s anything but ordinary.
Our Turtle Conservation Centre released 75 post-hatchling loggerhead turtles!
Our Turtle Conservation Centre released 75 post-hatchling loggerhead turtles into the warm waters off Cape Point last week! After nearly eight months of rehabilitation, the turtles were strong, healthy, and ready to be released back into their ocean home. This was particularly special as it marked one of the final batches of the young turtles to be released since their unprecedented mass stranding in April this year.
Tracking our turtles: Bokkie the amputee green turtle making waves
Just 50 days ago, Bokkie was released into the iSimangaliso Wetland Park and recently crossed the border from Kosi Bay into Mozambique! To gain some perspective on where Bokkie is now exploring, we reached out to a fellow turtle scientist who is doing some awesome work in that area.
2024 recap: Fabulously fishy moments from the Two Oceans Aquarium
2024 was a wonderfully jam-packed year for the Two Oceans Aquarium and its Foundation - from our biggest Waddle yet to being named co-champion of the Mission Blue Hope Spot in False Bay. We are excited to see what the next year brings but first, let's look back on 2024...
A Two Oceans Aquarium Foundation first: Releasing three turtle species into De Hoop MPA
On 5 December 2024, the Two Oceans Aquarium Foundation’s Turtle Conservation Centre team released four rehabilitated sub-adult turtles into the De Hoop Marine Protected Area (MPA). Solé and Plum (green turtles), iKhwezi (loggerhead turtle), and Harley (hawksbill turtle) represent an incredible first for the Turtle Conservation Centre.
The Two Oceans Aquarium has welcomed a new arrival – the shaggy sponge crab
The ocean can be treacherous for shaggy sponge crabs, and camouflage is key to staying safe from predators. Other ocean animals, like octopuses, are masters at blending in with their surroundings, but shaggy sponge crabs must accessorise to shield themselves. This is where a hat comes to the rescue!
Marine Sciences: A novel teaching method course as part of the PGCE qualification at Rhodes University
A groundbreaking PGCE course at Rhodes University prepared teachers to deliver South Africa’s new Marine Sciences curriculum in schools. Developed through collaboration between educators and Rhodes staff, the course addressed the shortage of qualified Marine Sciences teachers, equipping graduates to teach this growing multidisciplinary subject.
Meet Stella, one of our newest patients at the Turtle Conservation Centre
On 24 October 2024, a Cape Nature ranger alerted our Turtle Rescue Network to a green turtle found in Plettenberg Bay. Immobile and covered with algae, her rescuer was uncertain about this turtle’s chances. There were also some strange gashes on her carapace (top shell) that looked as though a shark or another large marine predator had tried to take a bite of her!
Tracking our Turtles: The first update of 2025
This is our Turtle Conservation Centre’s first turtle tracking update of 2025! What an exciting opportunity to be able to track our satellite-tagged turtles for another loop around the sun. Let's hear from Talitha Noble-Trull, Conservation Manager, to check in with Nobomvu, Bokkie, and Bheni…