Two Oceans Aquarium Foundation

18/09/2026

Four Cape fur seals. One enormous dry dock. And a multi-day rescue operation! 🦭⛑️

When four seals became trapped inside Sturrock Dry Dock, our Marine Wildlife Management Programme faced an unusual challenge: The seals were healthy and feeding, but spent their days sheltering deep inside a dark tunnel where a direct rescue was too risky. 🔦

What followed was a lesson in patience, teamwork, and the importance of adapting our approach to safely rescue wildlife in an urban environment. 💙

Read the full story of how all four seals eventually made it safely back to the ocean:

Foundation | Our Marine Wildlife Management Programme (MWMP) team recently led an extraordinary, multi-day rescue of four Cape fur seals from Sturrock Dry…

17/09/2026

A very special turtle has returned to our I&J Ocean Exhibit! 💚

You may remember Habanero, our much-loved loggerhead turtle, who previously called the I&J Ocean Exhibit home.

After undergoing major surgery to remove one of his front flippers, Habanero spent an extended period in our Turtle Conservation Centre recovering. With plenty of patience, love and dedicated care from our incredible turtle team, slowly but surely, Habanero is becoming his old self again. ❤️

Yesterday marked a very special milestone as Habanero returned to the I&J Ocean Exhibit, an important stage in rehabilitation that prepares our larger turtles for their eventual release back into the wild. He joins fellow rehabilitation patient, Nutmeg, in the space.

Our ultimate goal is always to return our turtles to their natural home, and we couldn’t be more excited to watch Habanero settle into his new, larger space, grow stronger, and continue to thrive. 🐢

Welcome, Habanero! We’re so happy to have you back! 💙

14/09/2026

13/09/2026

A sustainable circle all the way around! 🐢🌊

We’re excited to partner with ABALOBI, an organisation supporting sustainable, equitable and climate-resilient small-scale fishing communities through their Fish With A Story model.

Our Turtle Conservation Centre receives sustainable seafood from ABALOBI to feed our turtles. This gives them more variety in their diets while allowing us to provide seasonal fish that naturally occur in our waters, helping create a more natural rehabilitation experience. 💚

Recently, we received a mixed 10 kg box of fish that was not suitable for restaurants, wasn’t ordered, or would otherwise have been left over. Even better, all the fish are caught using handlines! 🎣

Our larger turtles have been loving their new sustainable meals.

Supporting fishing communities, reducing waste and caring for our oceans and turtles. Now that’s a sustainable circle! 💙

08/09/2026

Dry dock seal rescue finale: Part 3 🦭

After patiently waiting for the remaining seals to make their way out of the tunnels, our Marine Wildlife team finally got the call on day six. One of the seals was happily playing in the water, allowing the team to safely secure it in a specialised net before releasing it back into the harbour. 💙

With the final two seals being much larger, we waited for the dry dock to be refilled so they could swim out safely. But one of them had other plans! On day sixteen, one of the larger seals simply made its way up the stairs and released itself back into the harbour. 🦭🌊

The final seal followed the plan on day seventeen, enjoying a swim as the dry dock slowly filled. Once the water reached the top of the steps, it climbed out, made its way to the release area, and returned to the harbour. ❤️

A huge thank you to Johann and his team at Sturrock Dry Dock, as well as Southey Contracting Marine Division, for all your help and support throughout these releases.

What an incredible journey it has been! 🦭💙

07/09/2026

Can’t make it to Cape Town? We’ve got you covered! 🌍

Registration for online attendance at the IZE 2026 Conference is now OPEN! 🎉

Whether you’re an IZE member or not, you can join the global conservation education community from wherever you are in the world. 🌿🦁

Don’t miss this opportunity to connect, learn, and be inspired by conservation educators from around the globe, without leaving home!

📅 12 to 16 October 2026
📍 Online, wherever you are

🔗 Register now for IZE 2026: https://bit.ly/48PtCtd

🤔 Want to learn more? Discover everything you need to know about the IZE Conference here: https://bit.ly/4qVadig

06/09/2026

Meet big mamma Pearl, a loggerhead turtle undergoing rehabilitation at our Turtle Conservation Centre 🐢❤️‍🩹

Pearl was rescued in March 2026, absolutely covered in leeches, weak, dehydrated, and suffering from a severe wound under her chin. Thanks to the efforts of Lower Breede River Conservancy Trust staff Jason, Tertia, Luton, and Gershwin, she arrived safely at the Turtle Conservation Centre, where our team has been providing the best care possible for this brave loggerhead. 🩺

At the moment, a feeding tube provides Pearl with her daily nutrition while she fights the bone infection, although she tries very hard to open her mouth when the team offers her small pieces of protein. Her future remains guarded, but our team holds out hope that she will eventually beat her infections. 🦠

A gentle and inquisitive presence at the Turtle Conservation Centre, big mamma Pearl has a long and difficult road ahead of her, but her potential recovery holds so much promise – both for Pearl and for the future of her species. 💙

Read Pearl’s full story: https://www.aquarium.co.za/foundation/news/meet-big-mamma-pearl-a-loggerhead-turtle-fighting-for-life-at-the-turtle-conservation-centre

05/09/2026

Dry dock seal rescue: Part 2 🦭

Johan Coetzee, the Dock Master, came up with an option to help remove the seals by releasing water into the tunnels to encourage them out. When this wasn’t successful, the team decided to return the following day because the seals were safe with access to fish.

On Day Two, the team checked the tunnels and decided to wait for a call that the seals had exited, as some had been seen coming out in the evenings. 🌙

On Day Three, the call came. A seal had exited the tunnel, and the team quickly made their way to the dry dock, where they worked together to secure the seal in a specialised net. The dry dock team then assisted with carrying the seal up the stairs.

Once at the top, Wildlife Monitor Abdullah settled the seal before carefully removing the net and releasing it back into the harbour. 🌊

A great success for the first seal, with three more to go!

A big thank you to Johan Coetzee, Dock Master, and his team, as well as Ashley and the Southey Contracting Marine Division team from the vessel, for their assistance and cooperation throughout the rescue. 💙

03/09/2026

Dry dock seal rescue: Part 1 🦭

Our Marine Wildlife Management team was alerted to four Cape fur seals trapped in the Sturrock Dry Dock.

After Transnet drained the dock, our team entered the tunnels to assess the seals. They were found at the furthest point, about 200m down, but the slippery conditions meant we had limited options until the seals made their way out.

The team tried coaxing them towards the exit with torches and calls, and the seals certainly responded with loud calls! 🦭🔦

When the seals did not come out, the team conducted surveillance around the dock and discussed the next steps with Johan Coetzee, Dock Master.

Patience, teamwork and careful planning are key when working with marine wildlife. 💙