Things to do

Diversity of South Africa’s eastern coastline. At 1.6 million litres, the I&J Ocean Exhibit provides a massive home to rays, musselcrackers, rescued turtles, indigenous fishes, and much more. Whether viewed from the 10-metre-long transparent tunnel or the giant viewing window, the I&J Ocean Exhibit is your glimpse into South Africa's warm waters. Plus: You can scuba dive in this exhibit!

Discover an incredible underwater world at the Save Our Seas Foundation Shark Exhibit! Here, you can have a close encounter with some of the most misunderstood species in South Africa's oceans. You'll meet a shiver of ragged-tooth sharks and watch schools of giant yellowtail hunt for their next meal. Don't miss the curious yet territorial yellowbelly rockcod standing its ground to much larger predators. Relax in front of the exhibit's large window or spiral around the accessible viewing ramp – the choice is yours!

This exhibit is home to a colony of African penguins, some rescued rockhopper penguins, Western leopard toads, and common platannas. A small selection of freshwater fish, indigenous and alien, to our Western Cape rivers can also be viewed in several pools. A bird hide, overlooking the rockhopper rookery, offers people a place to sit and relax in this peaceful riverine environment.

Living kelp forests are currently only displayed in a handful of aquariums in the world. The Kelp Forest Exhibit is an underwater forest where giant sea bamboo grows like trees, and fish swim through the algae fronds like birds. Our visitors are mesmerised by the hypnotic sway of the tall kelp plants and the play of dappled sunlight on silver fish scales. Central to our "two oceans" theme, this enchanting forest remains one of our biggest drawcards, and many visitors return time and time again to its beauty and tranquillity.

The Microscope Exhibit opens up a new world: Watch some of the remarkable activities of creatures such as goose barnacles, cushion stars and sea cucumbers as they feed, breathe and even give birth! Our digital microscope projects magnifications of the subject under examination onto an array of screens, so you can see these features in high definition. At the Exhibit is a small pool with various specimens, a display of mermaid's purses, our incredible microscope, and much more.

The southern tip of the African continent is the meeting place of two mighty and bountiful oceans, the Indian and the Atlantic. The Two Oceans Aquarium is ideally positioned to showcase the incredible diversity of marine life found in these two oceans. The Diversity Gallery is home to vibrant tropical beauties from the warm Indian Ocean, such as the popular Western clownfish, and from the colder Atlantic Ocean, the cryptic fishes, translucent jellies, and the common octopus.