Life lessons from our Two Oceans Aquarium inhabitants

22 October, 2024 - Animals, Exhibits, Blog

We have some fascinating creatures at the Two Oceans Aquarium, and over the years we have learned a thing or two from these seasoned sailors …

Don’t be afraid to be unique!

It can be tough letting the world see your true colours, but they make you special. So, take a lesson from the world’s most unique seahorse, the Knysna seahorse: You do you.

This little fish (yes, fish) is the only one of at least 47 known seahorse species (new seahorse species are discovered from time to time) that is a truly estuarine species. They've made living in the brackish water of an estuary – just three estuaries on the southern Cape’s Garden Route – their speciality.

And that’s the thing: Find what is unique about you and then live it fully. Go on.

Stand your ground

Honeycomb moray eels are true introverts who like to stay home alone, and while they look a bit grumpy, these slithery sea creatures are actually not at all aggressive.

However, they may bite you if you put your hand into their cosy cave. Well, really, what do you expect? And that’s the lesson we can take from them: there’s no need to be aggressive, but when it’s time, defend those things that have meaning for you.

Recycle

Meet the ultimate recycler, a fish that poops out beaches – the parrotfish!

That’s right, the colourful parrotfish fish has 15 rows of more than 1 000 reinforced teeth that allow it to break off small pieces of coral and munch on the algae that live on these odd animals. In the process, a parrotfish can deliver 100kg of beautiful beach sand a year.

Now, we all know that coral reefs are in trouble and that plastic pollution is the plague of the seas, so make like the parrotfish and recycle.