Bayworld Oceanarium

Bayworld Oceanarium

Description

One of the leading tourist attractions in Nelson Mandela Bay, Bayworld is unique in Southern Africa, embracing a natural and cultural history Museum combined with an Oceanarium and Snake Park. It is located in the heart of the Port Elizabeth beachfront and serves up a feast of edutainment to hundreds of thousands of visitors each year.

The main activities of the Complex are research and education aimed at stimulating a greater awareness of the need for conservation of South Africa’s natural and cultural heritage. Research and education programmes focus on marine life, reptiles, maritime and local history.

A small colony of Cape fur and Subantarctic seals became resident at Bayworld following stranding due to separation from their mothers in high seas, illness or injury.  They provide a unique, up-close experience, allowing visitors to view age and gender variations as well as swimming and feeding behaviours.  Entertaining demonstrations of their adaptations to the aquatic environment through interactions with their trainers and related explanations and stories are presented.

African penguins, currently raising chicks or tending eggs, also provide entertaining moments as they demonstrate their exceptional agility in the water as supposed/ opposed to their rather awkward and cumbersome movements on land. This is an endangered species.  The hand-raised rockhopper penguins greet visitors in amplified vocals, expecting some fishy reward.

The two fully grown (2,6m / 2,8m) raggedtooth sharks allow ample time to count their truly ragged jawfuls of cutting tools and study their pulsing gill-slits as they slowly cruise around the round fish tank. In contrast the shy leopard and tiger cat sharks display their less threatening and more peaceful style of life.

Probably one of the most intriguing aquatic animals at the aquarium is the large octopus who, at times, flashes out its full size and extent of its eight sucker lined legs and does a form of dance across the length and breadth of the tank. Or marvel at the tiny Knysna seahorses as they coil around the furniture in their tank or “gallop” in slow motion across the window.

Even regular SCUBA divers will not be able to see a more beautiful group of mussel cracker as seen through the portholes of the open ocean tank – some of these fish are more than 20 years old. Did you know that mussel cracker change their sex?  If one arrives early in the morning or late in the afternoon, one might be lucky to hear some the large Kob species vocalizing.

The Tropical tank holds a kaleidoscope of colourful fish representing more than 60 species. The aquarists pride in this tank is the large shoal of Moorish Idols with their striking colour and long trailing filamentous fins.  The tank also houses a number of sea turtles that are being rehabilitated before release.

Dolphins

Dumisa and Domino, the two Indian Ocean bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) who lived at Bayworld were moved to Hong Kong’s prestigious Ocean Park as part of a global breeding programme on 22 July 2009.  The move addressed the urgent need to separate the two dolphins in order to prevent inbreeding, a major concern for the genetically compromised father-daughter pair.  It also allowed the two to be placed in a viable social environment and interact with unrelated dolphins of the same species.

Dumisa and Domino will always belong to Bayworld and the facility will, once the two dolphins have bred successfully, be eligible to receive offspring. The relocation of the dolphins will give Bayworld time to revitalise the facility in line with international standards. This much needed renewal of the Oceanarium, for which Bayworld is currently awaiting funding approval, will ensure that dolphins returning to Bayworld will enjoy a world class facility.

The dolphins were flown to Hong Kong on board a chartered flight.  The transport training started in December 2008. Generally, the most difficult part of this form of training is getting the dolphins into a stretcher.  Luckily, Domino and Dumisa have been trained for this as part of their medical training and they are very happy to get on a stretcher for any reason. The process of training involved small steps at a time. The animals had to be slowly desensitized to different people, a large team, movement and noises. This happened bit by bit. They were initially taken out of the water, then on short trips, first around the car park in a horse box and later around the block and then finally in a specially designed crate placed on a truck on trips to the airport.  More than 22 road trips were conducted.

They were transported in a special locally (SA) designed transport crate. Because of the special bond between the two, they were transported together in the same special South African designed watertight crate and was able to see each other. Inside the crate, they were lying in custom made transport stretchers, supported by foam and water. The crate was also fitted with sprayers which continuously sprayed the dolphins with water. During their flight in a DC8 cargo plane, they were accompanied by four staff members (two from Ocean Park and two from Bayworld), as well as two vets (one from Ocean Park and one of Bayworld’s consulting vets).

 Snake Park

The park was closed in July 2005 in anticipation of the start of the first phase of the proposed redevelopment project. A section of the Snake Park is hoarded off to accommodate future construction. Reptiles on display include snakes, geckos, lizards, juvenile crocodiles, tortoises and terrapins.

Daily Activities

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