Holiday Fun at the Two Oceans Aquarium Learn

The Two Oceans Aquarium brings ‘Music of the Sea’ to its visitors during the upcoming school holidays. Pedro the Music Man’s interactive performances showcase the music created by our early ancestors who used instruments made from the materials they found on the beach. The instruments also include Pedro's signature flute, the Ixilongo, a simple kelp pipe which produces an astounding range of notes.

Parents of today might remember Pedro the Music Man from Kideo, the 1990s children’s television show!

Four workshops, entitled ‘The Music of the Sea’ and facilitated by Pedro the Music Man, will provide interactive and hands-on activities during which participants of all ages will have the opportunity to make their own musical instruments and to play them. These instruments include horns and pipes made from dry kelp, as well as kelp-and-shell percussion instruments.

The kelp horns and kelp pipes produce just one note each but when played together in an ensemble, they produce very rewarding and creative music. The show is a mix of storytelling and practical music workshop. It is suitable for the whole family and provides an opportunity for all generations to make music together. Children will be able to take home one of the kelp instruments that they have made. The workshops are free of charge for visitors to the Aquarium on these days.

Workshop details:
Dates: 21, 22, 28 and 29 March 2020
Time: 10h00 (please arrive at least 10 minutes before the time)
Venue: Auditorium at the Two Oceans Aquarium
Cost: No additional charge to Aquarium visitors over and above the usual ticket price
Ages: All ages, but great for families
Availability: 50 - 70 spaces per workshop

Besides these unique workshops the Aquarium provides fun and adventure for the whole family.

Join the Aquarium team for its Human Rights Day and Water Day Trash Bash beach cleanup at Lagoon Beach from 09h00 to 11h00 on 21 March. After a morning at the edge of the sea head on to the Aquarium to discover life beneath the waves.

Also, on 21 March is the family sleepover, exclusively for Aquarium members – sleeping with the fishes is a great way to kick off the school holidays! This event guarantees fun and egg-citement for the whole family. Membership can be purchased online or at the Aquarium. A Two Oceans Aquarium membership is the best way to make the most of the long school holidays. Valid for a year and offering unlimited visit, a membership is incredible value - your fee is paid off after just two visits! With more than 8 000 animals representing over 200 Southern African species, the Two Oceans Aquarium is an icon for a reason. With an annual membership, you can visit the fish as often as you wish, and gain access to incredible benefits such as exclusive family sleepovers and bespoke discounts.

On 21 and 22 March 2020, in partnership with UCT’s Future Water Institute, the Aquarium will host a temporary interactive installation called ‘Source to Sea’. This installation will engage the public in exploring and contributing their experiences/ideas/stories/questions about urban river systems, from source to sea, and the human-nature connections they trace.

Every day, divers and animal keepers hand feed the rays, turtles, sharks, penguins and more in the I&J Ocean Exhibit, Kelp Forest Exhibit, Predator Exhibit and Penguin Exhibit. During these feeds, a presenter provides insights and valuable information to those who have gathered to watch.

The Aquarium’s I&J Children’s Play Centre hosts a wonderful array of activities aimed at younger visitors. Interactive puppet shows with an important environmental message are held thrice daily at 10h30, 13h30 and 15h30 and the puppet shows are available in puppet story books to purchase and take home.

Great scuba diving opportunities are on offer in the Aquarium’s three main exhibits. Advanced divers can explore between the stems of giant sea bamboo discovering ocean wonders in the one-of-a-kind Kelp Forest Exhibit.
Dive with the ragged-tooth sharks in the Predator Exhibit, suitable for those already able to scuba dive. New divers and veterans alike, explore the I&J Ocean Exhibit and meet turtles, stingrays and more.

The Aquarium's much-loved African penguins are fed daily at 11h30 and 14h30 - visitors receive an educational and informative talk about these charismatic and endangered birds while enjoying their feeding antics. Visitors can also book a Penguin Experience and contribute to the Aquarium’s conservation fund.

The Aquarium recently welcomed Bootlegger Coffee Company as its onsite restaurant. The restaurant’s hours are Monday to Friday from 06h30 to 18h00; weekends and public holidays from 07h30 to 18h00.

The Aquarium will open at 09h00 and close at 18h00 during the school holidays.