Port Elizabeth Oceanarium in Humewood, Port Elizabeth, South Africa | Aquarium | Dolphin Watching / Swimming | Museum | Planetarium | Reptiles | Seal Watching | Museum Shop | Aquarium | Dinosaur Museum | Natural Museum

The Oceanarium, Humewood, Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape, South Africa
Constructed over a period of 10 years, the first phase of which was the 900 000 litre main fish tank which was built in 1959. After housing dolphins for a number of years, the pool was re-established as a fish tank in 1968 when the new dolphin lake was completed and is now home to a wide variety of large fish, sharks and turtles.

Alongside it is the smaller tropical tank where a variety of tropical fish and sea turtles found alongside the East coast are displayed.

The large dolphin lake is undoubtedly the focal point of the Port Elizabeth Oceanarium. 60m long, 45m at its widest point and up to 4,5m deep, it contains 4, 75 million litres of filtered seawater and is still one of the largest dolphin lakes in the world. Two Indian Ocean Bottlenose dolphins, Domino and Dumisa, delight visitors to the Oceanarium on a daily basis in Humewoods' popular tourist area.

he past 47 years have seen a tremendous growth in knowledge of bottlenose dolphins on an international scale. The knowledge gained by scientists and the curators at Bayworld through their experience with the dolphins forms a significant part of this growth. Although many people are opposed to keeping dolphins in oceanaria, the role of these ambassadors of the ocean in shaping public awareness and attitudes cannot be ignored.

A large seal pool enclosure houses a small colony of Cape fur seals, as well as a Sub Antarctic seal. Penguins and other sea birds are on display in a landscaped area including a swimming hole and waterfall. Several penguin pairs breed successfully each year. The complex is a highlight on a visit to the Eastern Cape not to be missed!