The Two Oceans Aquarium has been a firm favourite with Capetonians as well as with local and international tourists for the past 27 years. Not only does the Aquarium welcome visitors to its amazing underwater world of southern African marine life.
The Aquarium also offers various experiences that are interactive, adventurous, and perfect for creating memories that will last a lifetime.
Behind-the-Scenes Tours
Ever wondered about the inner workings of the Two Oceans Aquarium? Perhaps you have questions about how the Aquarium’s life support systems work, or how and what the animals are fed? They have great news for you! The Aquarium offers daily Behind-the-Scenes Tours for visitors over the age of eight.
One of the Aquarium’s Curatorial staff members will take you behind-the-scenes, winding your way through areas where very few members of the public ever have the opportunity to go.
These guided tours take visitors behind the “staff-only” access doors and into the areas where pumps are humming, food for the animals is being prepared, divers are kitting up and much more.
You will see the animals and exhibits from a brand-new point of view, while the Aquarium experts will share fascinating information about how they make the Aquarium magic happen.
Details can be found here: aquarium.co.za
Meet some feathered friends with a Penguin Experience
Get up close and personal with the adorable northern rockhopper penguins of the Two Oceans Aquarium, through an awesome, educational, and interactive Penguin Experience!
A maximum of two people can join the penguin keeper for an informative, fun, and exhilarating face-to-face experience with the Aquarium’s feathered friends.
- Penguin Experiences take place Tuesdays to Sundays at 10.30am.
- These experiences are suited to anyone over the age of eight.
- Visit shop.aquarium.co.za to book your slot.
Dive into the Aquarium’s underwater world
The Two Oceans Aquarium Dive School is a certified PADI five-star Dive Centre and your one-stop-shop for all things scuba diving. The Aquarium is the perfect place to showcase southern Africa’s marine biodiversity through its diving experiences in all three of the Aquarium’s large-scale exhibits … and beyond! Dive into the I&J Ocean Exhibit and spend time with larger stingrays, turtles, musselcrackers, and other fish found around the southern tip of Africa – even if you are not a qualified diver!
Perhaps diving with the large ragged-tooth sharks in the Save Our Seas Foundation Shark Exhibit is something for your bucket list? Or how about diving in the Kelp Forest Exhibit with the gentle swaying giant kelp plants, and a myriad of different fish?
Dive experiences and courses:
- Adventure Diving in one of the Aquarium’s three large-scale exhibits
- PADI Discover Scuba Diving in the I&J Ocean Exhibit
- PADI Scuba Diver course
- PADI Open Water Diver course
- PADI Advanced Open Water Diver course
- PADI Refresher
If you want to try scuba diving but are not quite ready to take the plunge into a full certification course, PADI Discover Scuba Diving at the Two Oceans Aquarium Dive School is for you. The PADI Discover Scuba Diving Course has been designed to provide scuba diving novices with an enjoyable and closely supervised experience. Once you have completed this short course, you will be able to dive in the I&J Ocean Exhibit on the same day, while under the supervision of the dive master.
The Two Oceans Aquarium Dive Centre also offers free diving courses for those who would like to experience the underwater world without scuba gear.
The Aquarium’s scuba experiences are open to anyone older than ten years. Visit aquarium.co.za to see all the Aquarium’s dive offerings and to book.
Membership
Visit the fish as often as you wish with a Two Oceans Aquarium Membership – perfect for sea-loving families. Aquarium memberships give you a year of unlimited access, plus boatloads of other benefits like exclusive events and bespoke discounts. With more than 8000 animals from South Africa’s oceans, there is a reason the Aquarium is loved by young and old alike. Become a member today!
Feeding times:
Want to see how a shark eats, or a penguin snacks? The Aquarium is the perfect place to do just that. During feeding times, specific exhibits and animals are fed accompanied by an informative talk about the exhibit and the special animals.
- Save Our Seas Foundation Shark Exhibit: The sharks are fed every Saturday at 12.00pm
- I&J Ocean Exhibit: Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 12.00pm
- Kelp Forest Exhibit: Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays at 12.00pm
- Penguins: Every day at 11.30am and 2.30pm
Explore our underwater world!
With various galleries and exhibits, the Two Oceans Aquarium is a fun and educational place to explore. Ragged-tooth sharks, African penguins, Knysna seahorses, jellies, stingrays, fishes, and the ever-elusive octopus are just some of the animals you will meet while exploring the myriad of exhibits at the Aquarium. The iconic living Kelp Forest Exhibit, one of the Aquariums’s three large-scale exhibits, is the only one of its kind in Africa!
The Two Oceans Aquarium has something for every visitor to enjoy – Scuba dive in the exhibits, meet a rockhopper penguin up close, take a guided tour, and watch the animals being fed in the presence of an Aquarium expert presenter.
Come and discover this amazing world!
- Website: aquarium.co.za
- Facebook: TwoOceansAquarium
- Twitter and Instagram: 2OceansAquarium
Also read:
“Adopt” a turtle hatchling at the Two Oceans Aquarium, save a life
Picture: Supplied