Two Oceans Aquarium Foundation paid tribute to the turtle conservation community at the annual One Blue Heart event at the One&Only Cape Town. With progress of the new state of the art Turtle Conservation Centre front of mind, it was an evening of thanks and an expression of what Ann Lamont, Two Oceans Aquarium Foundation’s Executive Chair, called ‘radical care.
“At the Foundation we believe in care as our organising principle. It’s not a soft idea, , it’s a radical one. It is rooted in justice; it is rooted in reciprocity and in interdependence. We are not powerless,” said Lamont.
The event, now in its third year, celebrated the Two Oceans Aquarium’s Foundation Turtle Conservation Centre team, which experienced an unprecendented turtle hatchling stranding season with over 600 hatchlings washing ashore and needing care in 2024. The spotlight shone on this team as they shared their personal turtle stories and experiences of “turtle-geddon” as last year’s hatchling stranding season is affectionately referred to. Each team member captivated the audience with their deep care and passion for the ancient ocean travellers, inspiring hope for the future of our ocean.
As he addressed the guests Siyoliso Bezo, Sea Turtle Aquarist at the Turtle Conservation Centre, shared his experience. “Mangaliso, a hawksbill turtle who had a long recovery journey at the Centre, taught me about dedication, passion, love, but most importantly, Mangaliso taught me that miracles do exist,” he said. “The turtle team is also a source of inspiration. I don’t look at my team as volunteers, interns, seniors and coworkers, I look at them as my family.”
Ann Lamont and the turtle team then hinted at some exciting developments on the new Turtle Conservation Centre (TCC) which was announced by David Green, CEO of the Waterfront, at last year’s One Blue Heart gala dinner.
“We are excited to be on the next stage of the new TCC as we have been working with customer experience experts to create the conceptual visitor journey. This work is as important as the medical and rehabilitation facilities of the Centre, as creating a space which is accessible to the public is essential to the turtle conservation work that we do. We believe that as people know more about the threats facing our marine environment, the more we can come together to make a difference to the health of our ocean and the animals that live in it,” said Lamont.
The new, stand-alone Turtle Conservation Centre is to be built in the Waterfront’s Granger Bay precinct. A first of this scale in Africa, the Centre will include a turtle rehabilitation hospital, education facilities, ample space for exhibition displays, a restaurant, and a shop. Construction on the TCC is set to start around mid-2026.
The current Turtle Conservation Centre at the Two Oceans Aquarium rescues, rehabilitates and releases various species of turtles found along South Africa’s coastline. This is critical work given that all seven species of turtles are either endangered or critically endangered.
“Over the last 20 years the Two Ocean’s Aquarium has released over 1000 turtles back into the Ocean. To ensure successful rehabilitation and eventual release, expensive rehabilitation techniques are needed including life support, expert medical care and around the clock monitoring. Ranging in size from 20g to 80kg, each turtle’s rehabilitation journey is unique and can take from a couple of months to many years, depending on individual needs,” said Talitha Noble-Trull, Turtle Conservation Centre Manager. “We are incredible excited about the opportunities which the new TCC will provide us. While extraordinary, last year’s turtle-geddon showed us that we need to be prepared for an influx of stranded turtles, and the new Centre will allow us to provide the best care possible for our turtle patients” said Noble-Trull.
Through storytelling, art and music this year’s One Blue Heart reignited the collective responsibility to safeguard marine life for future generations.
“Each layer of One Blue Heart this year was carefully considered to match the integrity of the Foundation’s work from the musicians’ meaningful offerings to guests’ names written on mussel shells that the Aquarium animals ate last week, to the calm, relaxed environment. The glam was unplugged in favour of simplicity and meaning, with each detail inviting deeper connection and care for each other and for the one blue ocean,” said Rachel Smith, One Blue Heart event curator.
“We wanted to return to the heart of what One Blue Heart stands for – a movement rooted in deep connection with the ocean and ourselves,” said Lamont. “We are grateful to everyone who supports our turtle conservation work and who has joined the movement to to protect the ocean for future generations.”
The One Blue Heart event, hosted by the Two Oceans Aquarium Foundation and the One&Only Cape Town, for the benefit of turtle conservation is made possible by the generous support of premium sponsors and partners including ClouDigital Art https://cloudigitalart.io/ , the V&A Waterfront, FNB, UrbanTonic and VenueTech. For more information on the sponsors visit: https://www.oneblueheart.co.za/partners.
Any donations and pledges are welcome, please do so by following this link: https://www.aquarium.co.za/foundation/support
Image Credit: Two Oceans Aquarium
