The Two Oceans Aquarium introduced three ragged-tooth sharks to the newly renovated Predator Exhibit yesterday.
The trio of sharks - two females Dané and Lily-May and one male, Bernie - are the first sharks to be released into their new habitat.
At 2.51m and weighing 111kg, Dané is a large shark. She will be the second-largest shark in the exhibit.
Lily-May, one of the smaller sharks weighs 38kg and measures 1.78m long. Bernie weighs 34kg and measures 1.82m long
Three more sharks will be introduced on Friday. About R20million was spent on the year-long renovation of the Predator exhibit and the Ocean Basket kelp forest exhibit.
Two Oceans Aquarium spokesperson Renée Leeuwner said: “Ragged-tooth sharks are renowned for their docile natures which is why they are chosen for display in aquariums around the world.”
She said rod and reel were used to catch the sharks.
Aquarium curator Maryke Musson said: “I am really excited about having some impressive-looking ragged-tooth sharks back, not just because they contribute to a beautiful and somewhat dramatic display with a strong ocean conservation message, but because we can also continue with our shark research,” Musson said.
The exhibit is already open for public viewing, but remains a work in progress, as more marine animals will be introduced over a number of weeks.
The renovations and repairs were necessitated as time had started taking its toll on the exhibit. The waterproofing of the exhibit had started to fail and the silicone seals between the windows started to leak.
Aquarium chief executive Michael Farquhar said: “The opening of the new exhibit gave us the opportunity to tag and release the sharks and move the fish, previously housed in the Predator exhibit, into their new home. “Once done, we were able, for the first time in 21 years, to empty the Predator Exhibit and start the renovations,” he said.