Aquarium Drama: Tourist Claims Vs. Reality

Holifil

01 Apr, 2025

An international traveler visiting the Two Oceans Aquarium in Cape Town sparked controversy with claims of seeing deceased animals in a tank.
Two Oceans Aquarium swiftly refuted these allegations, clarifying that the turtle in question was actually a rescued animal undergoing rehabilitation.
The Cape Town-based aquarium received overwhelming support from the online community, who rallied in their defense against what they deemed as false accusations.

A tourist visiting Cape Town made some pretty bold claims about the state of a sea creature at Two Oceans Aquarium. Photos: @Benthos_ISU / X, @jackstravelling / Instagram. Source: UGC

So here's the scoop: A tourist on vacation decided to visit the Two Oceans Aquarium in Cape Town and ended up making some pretty serious allegations about the well-being of the animals there. This claim quickly caught the attention of many online users. But before things got too heated, the aquarium stepped in to clear up the confusion, refuting the claims and reassuring everyone that the animals are indeed receiving the best possible care.

When a Video Sparks Debate

Meet Jack, an international travel content creator with the TikTok handle @jacks.travelling. While visiting the Two Oceans Aquarium in Cape Town, Jack filmed a video that quickly gained traction. In the video, he noticed a turtle that appeared to be motionless and made the following statement:

"The Cape Town aquarium needs to shut down. We saw three dead animals in the tank. I hope all aquariums in South Africa aren’t like this."

Now, let’s take a look at the TikTok video that started it all:

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Two Oceans Aquarium Weighs In

Briefly News reached out to Two Oceans Aquarium and had a chat with Heather Wares, the communications manager, who shared the following details:

"At the Two Oceans Aquarium, the health and welfare of our animals are our top priority. Let me assure you, the turtle in the video isn't dead—it's simply sleeping in its usual spot in the exhibit."

Heather went on to explain that the loggerhead turtle, affectionately named Kai, was actually a rescued animal currently being rehabilitated at the aquarium's Turtle Conservation Centre. Once Kai is ready, they plan to release it back into the wild where it can thrive in its natural habitat.

Last year, the Turtle Conservation Centre celebrated by releasing three species of turtles into the De Hoop Marine Protected Area to "embrace their ocean home." Image: @2oceansaquarium. Source: Instagram

Heather also expressed concern about videos like Jack's, which can lead to unnecessary action from organizations like the SPCA. She pointed out that this kind of misinformation wastes valuable time and resources that could be better spent addressing legitimate animal welfare issues.

Despite the initial controversy, Heather shared a positive takeaway: "The Two Oceans Aquarium was truly moved by the outpouring of support from our community. Their defense speaks volumes about how seriously we take our commitment to animal care."

South Africans Rally Behind the Aquarium

As Heather mentioned, many social media users jumped to the aquarium’s defense, calling out what they saw as unfounded accusations.

@ruth.jam had this to say to Jack:

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"Stop spreading false information, especially about the aquarium. They do incredible work in conservation."

@industr1al_c4t chimed in with:

"Attacking one of the most ethical aquariums out there? Really?"

@ernsterich, who hoped the video was meant as satire, commented:

"When people don't know how sea turtles sleep, you end up with posts like this."

@mickjholmes questioned the intent behind the post:

"Is this just clickbait or something?"

@jean_pierreofficial reminded Jack:

"Get your facts straight before posting nonsense on social media."

@nothing.to.do.wit7 added a touch of humor:

"You should see our government officials—they do even less."

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