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It's a brother-sister penguin birthday celebration! Luna turned 7 yesterday (25 Feb) and his little sister Makena turns 7 tomorrow (27 Feb). These African penguin siblings hatched to mother Diesel and father Tasmyn, who hatched at the Two Oceans Aquarium in 2002 and 1998 respectively to parents who had been rescued from the wild. This makes Luna and Makena 2 of only 3 "third generation" penguins at the Aquarium - so they truly are part of our family!

On 13 March 2021, we'll be staying open until 21h00 for anyone with an active Aquarium membership.Everyone knows that at 18h00, when our doors close to the public, the penguins take over the Two Oceans Aquarium. Well, not quite, but on the evening of 13 March we invite our member to join us after our usual closing time for a members-only evening in celebration of our previous penguins - a part of our March of the penguin campaign.

Ever wish you could spend all day watching the African penguins? Now you can! We've put a temporary webcam in the African penguin exhibit, so you can see what these quirky birds (and their equally quirky carers) get up to at all times of day.

What’s better than unlimited visits with the fish? How about exclusive events and special rates for our additional offerings? That’s just a fraction of the wonder you’ll experience when you join as a Two Oceans Aquarium member. Become an annual member (or buy a gift membership) to the Two Oceans Aquarium any time during March 2021, and you will be automatically entered into the lucky draw for an incredible March of the Penguin prize worth R10 000!

Standing amidst the variety of life on display in the Skretting Diversity Gallery, it's easy to forget that all these organisms are part of a food web - even the weird ones. We might not think that penguins fall into that "weird" category, but these little hunters are not squeamish when it comes to food. Let's see what's on their menu. Humans like to eat the same calorie-rich foods that penguins do. When we overfish the species that penguins rely on, they need to swim farther to eat food that contains fewer nutrients. For African penguins and other species with semi-fixed colonies, this means that adults are unable to eat enough to provide enough energy to feed both themselves and their young. The result - an ecological trap that leads to the abandonment of chicks and a decline of endangered penguins.

South Africans famously recognise the penguins of Boulders Beach - but did you know that is a new colony and not the original home of the African penguin? Today there are only 28 African penguin colonies, let's take a closer look:

You can help Treat a Turtle and support the work of the Two Oceans Aquarium Foundation directly for as little as R250 - with this donation you could help provide veterinary care, food or contribute towards the eventual release of your favourite turtle champion (plus – all donors will receive a cool certificate of thanks).

When we think about "threats to penguins" it's natural to first think of sharks, seals and orcas, and maybe pollution. Disease and parasites are equally significant threats - especially as humans are altering the habitats of penguins and exposing them to more risks than ever before.

There’s no better setting for an enchanting dinner than the breathtaking exhibits of the Two Oceans Aquarium. To celebrate our reopening, and to give our fans and friends a different way to experience the magic of our underwater world, we are opening our doors to let you in on a truly spectacular experience…

To raise awareness and funds for the conservation of South African shark species, Shark Spotters has organised the Shark Smart Swim Challenge - a 13km swim inside the Fish Hoek shark exclusion barrier. Our own aquarist (and resident shark expert) Leigh de Necker will be joining the Shark Spotters team for this epic swim - and we'd like to ask you to support this amazing cause.

The African penguin might be the only penguin on the African continent, but they are not the only penguins in South Africa. That is because South Africa also includes the Prince Edward Islands, technically a part of the Western Cape, although being almost 2 000km away from Cape Town. These islands, which include the better-known Marion Island, are home to South Africa’s “other” penguins. Let’s meet them