We have featured Cape Town before in detail. But on this trip, we visited some sites that has never been featured before.
The first stop is the very well designed aquarium that opened in 1995. The Two Oceans Aquarium, nestled at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town, South Africa, is a celebrated marine exhibit that highlights the incredible biodiversity found in both the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. With over 8,000 sea creatures calling it home—think sharks, turtles, penguins, and a dazzling array of tropical fish—the aquarium promises an engaging experience for visitors of all ages.
For an extra charge, you can dive with ragged-tooth sharks (if you’re a certified diver), take behind-the-scenes tours, or enjoy animal encounters like penguin experiences. The aquarium also features educational programs, eco-friendly gift shops, and a family-friendly café. Exhibits include:
Diversity Gallery – This gallery showcases marine life of South Africa’s two oceans, and the major Benguela and Agulhas Currents that dominate its shores. Notable species include Knysna seahorses, moray eels, anemonefish, cryptic klipfish, sea stars, compass jellyfish, shysharks and temporary exhibitions of foreign species.
Save Our Seas Foundation Shark Exhibit – This exhibit holds 2 million liters of seawater. Ragged-tooth sharks, as well as various other fishes, are found..
Ocean Exhibit – This exhibit holds 1.6 million liters of seawater. Various fish, rays, and turtles can be seen.
Kelp Forest Exhibit – One of the aquarium’s biggest attractions, this underwater forest is home to shoals of coastal fishes, such as white musselcrackers, steenbras and spotted gully sharks, and living specimens of South Africa’s kelp species, sea bamboo, split-fan kelp and bladder kelp. The northern rockhopper penguin also uses this exhibit for their exercise. Penguin Exhibit – African black-footed penguins, northern rockhopper penguins, western leopard toads and African clawed frogs. A river course divided into three sections (upper, middle, and lower) with examples of native and invasive freshwater fishes is also present.
