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Two Oceans Aquarium, Cape Town, South Africa in 2022. Photo by TapticInfo –

Top 10 Cool Facts about Two Ocean Aquarium

The award-winning aquarium, which opened 25 years ago, is committed to educating visitors about the marine environments on our doorstep, as well as how to protect them.

Cape Town is uniquely positioned at the confluence of the Indian and Atlantic oceans, which is part of the reason our coastline is teeming with life. The warmer and colder currents mingle here at the southern tip of Africa, giving rise to incredible biodiversity. The Two Oceans Aquarium showcases this remarkable array of life.

1. Get an opportunity to see over 8 000 weird and wonderful creatures

Two Oceans Aquarium, Cape Town, South Africa in 2022. Photo by TapticInfo –

Home to more than 8 000 creatures and over 200 species, the aquarium gives both adults and little ones the chance to come face-to-face with predators of the deep, fish as multi-colored as the most vibrant rainbow, crabs the size of toddlers, and our favorite monochromatic feathered friends, the adorable African penguins.

The proudly South African galjoen (also known as the blackfish) may not be the prettiest fish in the sea, but it only makes its home near our shores, so we love it for that. You can see it, and many other endemic species at the Two Oceans Aquarium. 

2. You can only see the hagfish while at the two ocean aquarium

Two Oceans Aquarium, Cape Town, South Africa in 2022. Photo by TapticInfo –

Two Oceans is home to many species that can’t be found in any other aquarium. For example, the strange and somewhat grotesque hagfish is an ancient fish without jaws, eyes, fins, or scales.

It also produces up to 5 litres of slime when it gets scared – and it can only be viewed at the Two Oceans Aquarium.

You’ll find it in the Skretting Diversity Gallery. Along with the hagfish, the aquarium features many more endemic species including the African penguin, endangered Knysna seahorse, endangered Western leopard toad, puffadder shy shark, and spotted gully shark.

3. Fall in love with sharks and other hunters at the two ocean aquarium

Two Oceans Aquarium, Cape Town, South Africa in 2022. Photo by TapticInfo –

Sharks are one of the most misunderstood species on the planet. The aquarium’s Save Our Seas Foundation Shark Exhibit gives visitors the chance to meet a wide range of impressive predators, from the ragged-tooth shark to schools of giant yellowtail and the territorial rock cod, you can watch how these creatures interact and hunt.

4. Get outta this world with the jellies

Two Oceans Aquarium, Cape Town, South Africa in 2022. Photo by TapticInfo –

Experience the other-worldly Jelly Gallery, where you can watch these extra terrestrial-like creatures shapeshift like the blobs in a lava lamp. Displayed with a glow-in-the-dark effect, it gives visitors an other-worldly, deep-sea experience. Did you know jellies have no hearts, brains, or spines? But that just makes them even more fascinating considering how they move, hunt, and survive.

Don’t miss out on the Two Oceans Aquarium’s fabulous birthday deal, which gives South African citizens and permanent residents free access to the venue on their birthday or six days thereafter.

5. You can even get to touch some marine creatures while at the aquarium

Two Oceans Aquarium, Cape Town, South Africa in 2022. Photo by TapticInfo –

Touch and feel an assortment of marine creatures at the Two Oceans Aquarium’s interactive Touch Pool. Here you have the chance to handle kelp and other ocean oddities. The Microscope Exhibit turns the lens on a new world of delicate tentacles, tube feet, suckers, and nippers.

6. Get to see turtles and rays soar above you while at two ocean aquarium

Two Oceans Aquarium, Cape Town, South Africa in 2022. Photo by TapticInfo –

Don’t miss the stunning I&J Ocean Exhibit, the first display of its kind in South Africa. It features a 10-meter tunnel and is filled with 1.6 million litres of seawater.

Here you can watch languid turtles and gentle stingrays from the viewing window, or stand in the tunnel and watch shoals of temperate water fish glide gracefully overhead.

7. The Two Oceans Aquarium is now a registered PADI dive resort

Two Oceans Aquarium, Cape Town, South Africa in 2022. Photo by TapticInfo –

If you have an Open Water 1 qualification (or higher) you can scuba dive in with stingrays and turtles in the temperate I&J Ocean Exhibit or the ragged-tooth sharks in the Save Our Seas Foundation Shark Exhibit (no cage required). Divers with an Advanced Open Water qualification can dive in the swaying Kelp Forest Exhibit.

And did you know that the Two Oceans Aquarium is now a registered PADI dive resort? PADI certification is the foremost diving qualification globally and is recognized around the world. 

8. The Two Oceans Aquarium partners with the Two Oceans Aquarium Education Foundation

Two Oceans Aquarium, Cape Town, South Africa in 2022. Photo by TapticInfo –

The Two Oceans Aquarium, together with its newly established non-profit public benefit partner the Two Oceans Aquarium Education Foundation, is committed to marine conservation, education, and research.

From freeing seals entangled in litter to rehabilitating and releasing sea turtles, as well as providing curriculum-aligned lessons and enrichment courses to the youth of South Africa, these partner organizations address social and environmental concerns as part of their efforts to inspire change for the future wellbeing of the ocean.

9. Eat breakfast or lunch at the restaurant

Two Oceans Aquarium, Cape Town, South Africa in 2022. Photo by TapticInfo –

All that walking around can be hungry work. Dine on something delicious at the on-site Bootlegger Coffee Company. The chic and sophisticated eatery has a gorgeous terrace that looks out onto the V&A Marina.

You could grab a coffee and a pastry before you set off, or settle in for lunch. There’s a large selection of wraps, sandwiches, soups, salads, and burgers. Bootleggers have a dedicated children’s play area for kids who need to burn off extra energy. A bonus is that Two Ocean Aquarium members get 10% off their bill.
Whether it’s pouring outside or it’s Christmas Day, the V&A Waterfront’s marine world is always there for visitors. More specifically, the entertainment center is open every day from 9:30 am until 6 pm.

10. Take time to learn the story behind many of the creatures’ existences

Two Oceans Aquarium, Cape Town, South Africa in 2022. Photo by TapticInfo –

Over the festive season (20 December 2021-7 January 2022) hours have been extended from 9 am to 7 pm. Insider’s advice: it’s usually busiest between 10 am and 3 pm; the late afternoon is often the best time to visit because there are seldom queues and you get to be alone with the fish.

While the aquarium is all about fun and entertainment, it’s also devoted to educating visitors. Display boards can be found next to most exhibitions and installations with comprehensive information on the animals and efforts to protect them. Take time to learn the story behind many of the creatures’ existences and develop a greater appreciation for their fragile being.