Cape Town – The Two Oceans Aquarium is looking forward to a 2020 filled with excitement following a year of successes, including animal rescues, awards and amazing discoveries.
“It's hard to describe how proud we are of everything that has been achieved this year, and how much we are looking forward to a 2020 filled with even more excitement,” Two Oceans Aquarium management said in a statement.
Last year saw four new penguins joining the aquarium family - African penguins Flippy and Jaime, and the too-cute rockhoppers Jasmin and El. All four newcomers have made the aquarium colony their home and stolen the hearts of staff and visitors.
“We got to bid farewell to 194 turtles that were successfully rescued, rehabilitated and released - our most successful year of turtle rescues ever,” the facility said.
The aquarium also acknowledged the work of its Seal Monitors, who roam the V&A Waterfront and Cape Town Harbour every day, tracking seals and seabirds that need help, particularly those that have become entangled in discarded fishing lines.
Last year, the team proved their mettle when a particularly strong rope couldn't be cut off of a seal's neck with their usual tools and they needed to think fast to free the seal before it could escape into deep waters.
The Microscope Exhibit in the Skretting Diversity Gallery also got an exciting overhaul in 2019.
“A brand new Leica microscope has brought the ocean's tiniest treasures to light in beautiful high resolution - definitely a new favourite interactive exhibit,” the aquarium team said.
Back in July, Curator Maryke Musson got the chance to assist the NSRI in freeing a seal and loggerhead turtle that had both become tangled in the same abandoned fishing net at Noordhoek Beach.
Miraculously, both animals survived and despite a very slow recovery, Anette the turtle is doing well - showing members of the public her bubble butt while she heals in the I&J Ocean Exhibit.
In 2017, the aquarium made history by becoming the first institution to recover and describe a living specimen of the pink meanie jellyfish - a South African jelly so rare it doesn't even have a scientific name yet.
"Then, in July last year, they accidentally caught another one of these elusive animals, begging the question whether the pink meanie will return in 2020.
And 2019 was also the year of the sunfish. Many of these awkward-looking, yet gentle ocean giants found their way into Cape Town’s waters.
Turning 24 this year, the aquarium thanked its longest-serving staff members, including Vince Calder, who has been working there for 25 years.