Editor Pick
Two Oceans Aquarium
- November 15, 2004
- Rated 5 of 5 by
Overlander from Muscat, Oman
The Two Oceans Aquarium displays spectacular examples of the many-splendored marine life found off South Africa's long coastline. Some 3,000 different fish, shellfish, mammals, reptiles, birds, and plants can be seen in this underwater natural park. The Aquarium will also arrange dives with sharks, diving tours of kelp forests, and even copper-helmet diving, which is probably unique anywhere in the world.
I’ve always liked large aquariums, and Cape Town’s is one of the best ones you’ll ever see. I think its exhibit of African and rockhopper penguins is probably unique, and it’s at its best when feeding time comes around. Two or three young aquarium employees appear with buckets full of mackerel, and the fun begins. Penguins are inherently funny creatures, and to see them vying for the fish being offered them is a real hoot. The kids love it, of course, and so do the adults. Don’t miss it.
Another superb exhibit is the enormous tank with a half-tunnel viewing platform surrounding it where a couple species of sharks are kept, including the formidable looking "ragged-toothed" variety. Then there are the rays, yellowtails, huge loggerhead sea turtles, etc. Two or three days a week they have general feedings of all the fish by divers. A real feeding frenzy breaks out with fish zooming around the tank at incredible speeds to snare as much food as they can. Most impressive, of course, is the mesmerizing weekly hand feeding of the ragged-toothed sharks on Sundays at 15:30.
Then there’s the other enormous tank that contains a kelp forest. It must be at least 30 feet deep and the kelp grows from the bottom all the way up to the top with all sorts of fish that live within among this underwater jungle. Quite extraordinary.
Admission prices from 1 September 2005 - 31 August 2006
Adults R65.00
Children ( 4 - 17 years ) R30.00
Under 4 years Free
From journal Cape Town, the Mother City