On Saturday - 12 November 2022, the Two Oceans Aquarium team along with members of the public took to Muizenberg Beach to enjoy some fun in the sun, and more importantly, rid the beach of as much plastic pollution and dirt as possible.  This was part of the Aquarium's regular Trash Bash beach cleanups, with this one being a special Aquarium birthday celebration as well!

With Muizenberg Beach being one of the busiest in Cape Town and the sun shining down beautifully, the turnout for Trash Bash was outstanding. Families came out in numbers, organisations showed support, and individuals young and old joined us in our attempt to tidy up the beach.

The day was filled with turtle-themed activities and face paint for the kids, lucky draws, and fun with our beloved mascot Samantha. With the recent announcement of the next step in Bob the turtle's path to release - we're creating awareness about the need to #ProtectBobsHome - and we're thrilled to have had so many ocean lovers join us to help!

Trash Bash was not only loads of fun, but it was also a huge success. The morning culminated in an amazing 128.42kg of trash being collected and removed from the beach. It became quickly apparent among those collecting that a huge portion of the trash collected was microplastics, which often end up being swallowed by animals when they enter the oceans. Members of the public also reported that there were lots of broken drinking glasses and glass drinking bottles found. 

Thank you for all your support and thank you to Consol Glass for partnering with us on another amazing Trash Bash. Keep your eyes peeled for the return of Trash Bash in 2023!

The Flipper Effect: Protect Bob's Home

Bob is at the brink of release back into the borderless wilds of the open ocean after eight years of difficult rehabilitation. As we are preparing to release him, we realise we won't be able to protect him anymore.

The reality is simple: The ocean is not safe for turtles.

Together we can change that. Bob will be facing many of the same human-caused threats that resulted in his stranding in the first place, and which are the cause of harm to the overwhelming majority of distressed sea turtles - plastic pollution, habitat destruction, careless use of fishing equipment.

In order to create an ocean that is safe for Bob and all other creatures that call it home, we must continuously take small actions towards protecting it - these small actions compound into big change. This is #TheFlipperEffect!