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Getting breakfast, lunch and dinner ready for a colony of hungry African penguins is no small task! In the wild, these penguins would spend the majority of their day hunting and it's important that they get the same levels of consistent nutrition while they are at the Aquarium.

Nothing we do would be possible without the committed and passionate team of staff and volunteers that we get to call family at the Two Oceans Aquarium. If the past year has taught us anything, it's that we can overcome challenges far more easily if we can draw on the resilience and compassion of those around us - so thank you team for taking us forward. On 24 March 2021, we had the much-delayed opportunity to thank those who have served as staff and volunteers at the Aquarium and our non-profit partner, the Two Oceans Aquarium Foundation, for terms of 5, 10, 15, 20 and even 25 years. These recognitions were awarded by Two Oceans Aquarium CEO Michael Farquhar and General Curator Tinus Beukes.

When you look at a rockhopper penguin, the first things you probably notice are its yellow crests - a trait they share with other crested penguins, like Macaroni and Snare's penguins. Clearly, having a fly hairstyle matters in the penguin world -but why?

Compared to the ragged-tooth sharks of our Save Our Seas Foundation Shark Exhibit, it's easy to forget that beneath their cute, lovable exteriors, penguins are competent carnivores, and although they are not truly the top of the food chain, they come pretty close! Let's look at their hunting tactics:

Until further notice, tickets bought at the Aquarium after 3pm will continue at a reduced rate. The After 3 Special is only valid for tickets bought at our on-site ticket office after 3pm and used on the same day, before we close at 6pm. The special runs daily until further notice. After 3 Special tickets cannot be pre-booked, purchased online, or purchased through a third party sales agent. The After 3 Special cannot be redeemed in conjunction with any other vouchers or promotions (although you're welcome to bring a friend or family member along for their free birthday visit).

When we talk about "seals" here in South Africa, we mean one specific animal - the Cape fur seal (Arctocephalus pusillus pusillus), the only seal species that is truly native to the South African mainland. This species is the one you'll see in our harbours, at tourist destinations and diving sites, and the one you'll most likely see in animal welfare stories from organisations such as the Two Oceans Aquarium Foundation, the V&A Waterfront Marine Wildlife Programme and the SPCA. So, let's get to know our local sea dog a bit better!

Penguin Experiences are back! That means you get to take your relationship with penguins to the next level! This is a unique chance to get face-to-face with the wonderful rockhopper penguins of the Two Oceans Aquarium in a private setting, and learn a bit more about these quirky little ocean ambassadors - let's take a look at what your Penguin Experience day entails:

Love is in the water of the I&J Ocean Exhibit and the eagle rays are breeding! Visitors will surely have noticed the swollen bellies of the pregnant female rays - a bulge on their white undersides - and when they get close to the exhibit's window you may be lucky enough to spot their unborn young moving!

The Two Oceans Aquarium Foundation is all about ocean literacy - and there's no better way to achieve a lifetime of learning than by joining their "Crew". For just R100 per month, you will receive access to educational resources from Q&As with animal experts, to ocean-themed puppet shows for kids - more on all that below - plus, you get the bragging rights of knowing that you're supporting the Foundation's educational outreach and animal rehabilitation efforts at the Aquarium!

Ever since Finding Nemo came out back in 2003, everyone has become a clownfish expert - you can easily recognise their orange and white colours in our Skretting Diversity Gallery, and you probably already know that they are covered in a layer of slime that allows them to live inside sea anemones without being stung. But, that's just the beginning - there's a lot more to these little fish that you may not have realised.

Join Wildlife Management Programme Coordinator Bretty Glasby for an exciting online Q&A about the wild seals that live in the V&A Waterfront. Be sure to join Brett online and find out more about the work his team with the Two Oceans Aquarium Foundation does with Cape fur seals, and other animals, in the V&A Waterfront by joining us online 28 April, at 18h00.

It's not just animals and plants that depend on healthy ecosystems - they are vital for humans too. Conservation alone is no longer enough to preserve our natural heritage, that's why for Earth Day 2021 we are talking about "Restoring Our Earth", working towards ecosystem recovery for the good of all. Ecosystems improve our quality of life as humans, enabling us to grow and harvest food in a sustainable way, providing sinks for greenhouses gases that we inevitably produce, and provide us with pleasure and a connection to the natural world - this allows you to have a better quality of life, and will allow the next generation to enjoy one too.