The inspiring rescued sea turtles at the Two Oceans Aquarium have done it again - encouraging a creative group of Cape Town entrepreneurs to develop a sustainable product that is not only an environmentally responsible alternative to single-use plastic, but also contributes directly to ocean conservation by making a donation to the Two Oceans Aquarium Education Foundation's turtle rescue, rehabilitation and release centre. Meet Happy Sea Turtle!

Happy Sea Turtle is dedicated to helping our environment by producing products which are environmentally friendly as well as help cut down on the consumption of single-use plastics. The company was founded in 2018 with the idea of creating reusable drinking straws which contribute to the turtle rehabilitation programme at the Two Oceans Aquarium in Cape Town. 

The concept of our straw began when we had the unique opportunity to do Ocean Experience at the Two Oceans Aquarium. We put on wetsuits and emerged ourselves in the wonderful world of Bob and Sandy, the two resident turtles at the Two Oceans Aquarium. We had visited the Aquarium many times in the past and were always in such awe of the marine life; now we had the pleasure of being one of the first groups to meet the turtles in the new Ocean Experience.

We suited up and, after being given clear instructions of the "dos and don'ts", entered the top of the I&J Ocean Exhibit. Entering the turtles' territory was quite daunting. We were immediately greeted by the beautiful faces of Bob and Sandy. The curiosity of these animals left us "shell-shocked". They both loved getting attention; their little eyes looked at us with such curiosity.

Since Happy Sea Turtle's visit, Sandy has been successfully rehabilitated and returned to her ocean home.

As we were floating around in the pool section above the exhibit we were greeted by many Aquarium staff members - showing us the love these people have for the animals and ocean conservation. The experience was truly unbelievable and I would recommend it to anyone who really wants to get an insight into the operation of the Aquarium.

After hearing Bob's story we started our research and were shocked at what we discovered: Our beautiful marine life is being threatened by many things, single-use plastics being a major culprit - plastic straws being one of these major culprits. The shocking image of a calcified straw being pulled from the nostril of a turtle will forever be implanted in our minds. We made it our aim to get rid of single-use plastics and educate every person we encounter with an alternative.

A percentage of the proceeds of every Happy Sea Turtle product sold will be directly donated to the amazing turtle rehabilitation programme at the Two Oceans Aquarium, which gave us insight into the lives of these beautiful animals. I don't think people understand what kind of effect we are having on the planet. I guarantee that any person who has a chance to make eye contact with a turtle will understand our plight to start being more aware of single-use plastics. 

Our straws are made in Cape Town. From production to packaging we pride ourselves in knowing no plastic was used. We have stencilled each box by hand, with material bought from a local small business, which gives it a really unique look and feel. We aim to stay true to our mission of manufacturing eco-friendly products and supporting local businesses in South Africa.

Developing the straws was really trial and error, from material usage to the question of whether the straw should have a bend. We finally settled on the product we currently have by making use of it ourselves.

The straws are made from food-grade aluminium and coated in a food-grade colour. This will ensure that each straw is safe to use and will also last for a very long time. The straws are dishwasher safe and easily cleaned and we opted for a slightly bigger straw for this exact purpose.

You may also notice our straws have a smooth edge, we do this process by hand. It makes our straws safer to use and provides a better feel when drinking from it. We have opted for bright colours which are the fun side of using a metal straw.

If you would like to purchase reusable straws from Happy Sea Turtle, head over to their Facebook Shop.