The Two Oceans Aquarium was one of the places I visited in Cape Town. I have been to a few other aquariums in the past, some of them bigger than this, but I don’t know what it was about this particular one that made me feel all giddy and excited to be in it…
On the second day of our visit to Cape Town, we rode on the City Sightseeing bus from our hotel in Sea Point to the starting point of the bus tour. The bus takes off from the V&A Waterfront, directly opposite the aquarium. We contemplated ongoing on the first day but then decided against it.
I might have mentioned that R150 was a bit too much to spend seeing marine animals in a ‘cage’. But by the second day, my sister managed to convince me to check it out. And thank goodness, she did cos we literally saved the world by finding Nemo – and his entire family! You’re welcome, World!
So, the aquarium isn’t the biggest one you’d find out here, I hear the one in Durban is bigger and cheaper but this one does carry its own weight and it is ranked as one of the finest aquariums in the world. Don’t quote me on this though!
The aquarium has several exhibitions displaying several marine animals, including sharks, turtles and penguins. Some of their galleries feature exhibitions of creatures from both the Atlantic and Indian oceans. I guess one of the biggest appeals of this place is this biodiversity it offers.
Some of the exhibitions I found interesting included the Kelp Forest Exhibit which features an underwater forest home to varying species of fish. It was also weirdly satisfying watching those awkward penguins (sorry penguins, you’re not that cute) dive into the water with ‘furious’ speed & automatically transform into the ‘Penguins of Madagascar’.I also liked the Sappi River Meander exhibit which showcases a small colony of penguins as part of its display.
There was also the Predator Exhibit. This featured ragged-tooth sharks. The aquarium offers a chance for Shark diving here. The Two Oceans Aquarium guarantees perfect diving weather all year round and guaranteed shark sighting! Who would have thought?! PS: The sharks we saw during our visit have been released back into the wild.
Overall, our visit was both entertaining as well as educating. We were reminded of the damage we humans are causing to marine life. And more importantly, how we can help to reduce this harm.
By being mindful of where our waste ends up in, paying more attention to the world around us, applying the 3Rs – Reuse, Reduce, Recycle in our daily lives, we can all be a part of the solution.
The Aquarium is open 365 days a year, from 9.30 am until 6 pm. It costs a total of R150 for adults to visit. R110 for children aged 14-17, R70 for children aged 4-13 and free for kids under 4.
