Two Oceans Aquarium opens its Doors to the Public
, , , , ,

Two Oceans Aquarium opens its Doors to the Public

Photo credit: Two Oceans Aquarium

Can you feel the excitement in the air? The beloved Two Oceans Aquarium is finally re-opening its doors to the public on the 1st of September 2020 and we couldn’t be more thrilled! The renowned Two Oceans Aquarium, located at the vibrant V&A Waterfront, will once again welcome locals, visitors and marine life lovers to enjoy all of its magnificent marine life and exciting experiences daily between 9:30am and 6pm on weekdays, and from 9am to 6pm on weekends and public holidays. Giving you plenty of time to join in on all the Two Oceans Aquarium fun and games!

If you’re a member of the Two Oceans Aquarium, you’re in for a super special treat as you’re invited to enjoy four exclusive days to rediscover the magic of the Aquarium and re-acquaint yourself with all of its cool marine life locals ahead of its reopening to the general public. This will take place on Friday 28 August, Saturday 29 August, Sunday 30 August, and Monday 31 August.

Michael Farquhar, CEO of the Two Oceans Aquarium, expressed his excitement for the re-opening in the following statement:

“We are delighted to have finally received the go ahead from Government to reopen our doors after five months of closure. The Aquarium will once again be filled with the buzz of enthusiastic visitors, discovering the magic and beauty of the underwater world. Now we can get back to our purpose of saving the oceans and inspiring all who visit”.

Michael Farquhar, CEO of the Two Oceans Aquarium
Photo credit: Two Oceans Aquarium

The Two Oceans Aquarium’s conference facilities have also re-opened with a maximum capacity of 50 delegates per venue.

As the health and safety of all visitors and staff members remains the top priority, the Two Oceans Aquarium has put a range of health, hygiene, and safety measures in place in accordance with the latest government regulations.

COVID-19 HEALTH AND SAFETY MEASURES

  • Upon arrival all visitors will be screened for COVID-19 symptoms and will have their temperatures checked.
  • Visitors who are feeling ill or experiencing flu-like symptoms will be requested to postpone their visit.
  • Online bookings and ticket purchases are encouraged. Contactless payment options will also be available at the Aquarium’s ticket office. Online tickets can be purchased here.
  • All visitors (two years and older) must wear masks for the duration of their visit.  Masks are available for sale at the Aquarium should visitors have left theirs at home.
  • The visitor capacity of the Aquarium will be closely monitored and strictly managed at all times to ensure ample space for physical/social distancing of 2m between visitors. Visitors entering and exiting the Aquarium will be counted and visitor numbers will be restricted to 50% of the Aquarium’s capacity, based on the public space available.
  • Floor guides will be present at the Aquarium to guide visitors along the one-way route through the building.
  • Hand sanitiser will be freely available to all visitors throughout the Aquarium. Visitors are strongly encouraged to make use of hand sanitiser as frequently as needed.
  • No eating or drinking will be allowed in the Aquarium to ensure that visitors always keep their masks on. Bootlegger Coffee Company will be open to satisfy all your coffee and beverage cravings as well as hungry appetites before or after your visit to the Aquarium.
  • Cleaning personnel will be stationed throughout the Aquarium and will continuously clean and sanitise, especially around high-contact areas such as handrails, door handles and the activation buttons of certain exhibits.
  • There will be regular announcements throughout the day reminding staff and visitors about safety protocols and measures.

The Two Oceans Aquarium has also compiled and implemented a COVID-19 workplace-ready plan which is further extended to the staff of the Aquarium. Additional staff-related requirements and measures include:

  • The appointment of a Covid-19 Compliance Officer.
  • Full training of all staff members.
  • checking of all staff temperatures when arriving for work.
  • The compulsory wearing of masks and regular hand sanitising by all members of the staff.
  • Daily signing of a health declaration.

The Two Oceans Aquarium is fully committed to upholding these stringent COVID-19 regulations and measures as well as any other measures gazetted by Government in order to ensure that they operate in a safe and responsible manner and safeguard the health and safety of all visitors and staff members.

While the Two Oceans Aquarium itself will re-open to the public on the 1st of September 2020, some of the Aquarium’s exhibits, experiences and offerings will be temporarily closed in the interest of visitor health and safety.

CLOSED OFFERINGS

The following offerings and exhibits will be temporarily closed to the public:

  • Some of the crawl-through exhibits will not be open.
  • Advertised feed presentations have been temporarily suspended, but animal feeds will continue to take place and visitors will still be able to see divers in the large exhibits at various times of the day.
  • The I&J Children’s Play Centre has been closed, although the ever-popular puppet shows will be presented in the Aquarium’s Auditorium. This will ensure sufficient space for physical distancing and better control of numbers.
  • Adventure Diving and Penguin Experiences will not be available to visitors for the time being.
Photo credit: Two Oceans Aquarium

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

  • Memberships and prepaid tickets that were purchased during the COVID-19 lockdown period must be activated and redeemed within 90 days of the Two Oceans Aquarium’s reopening (1 September 2020).
  • Memberships that were active on the day of the Aquarium’s temporary closure (18 March 2020) will be extended by the number of days that the Aquarium has been closed to allow members to still enjoy twelve full months of membership.