Even my 5 month old enjoyed watching the fish swimming around in the tanks from the comfort of his pushchair !
A few weeks ago we took the kids to the East London Aquarium for the morning. The Aquarium is open daily from 9.00 am to 5.00 pm and is situated along the esplanade on the East London beachfront. It is the oldest aquarium in South Africa, having opened it’s doors in 1931.
It is a small but well laid out aquarium which houses over 400 species of fish along with penguins, pelicans and seals - to mention but some of the marine life which can be found there.
The seal show was a great hit with both old and young alike !
There is also a twice daily seal show at 11.30 am & 3.30 pm (my daughter loved watching the seals performing all manner of ‘tricks’ !) as well as fish feeding at 10.30 am & 3.00 pm (we watched the penguins being fed the day we went). Both are included in the entrance fee of R20,00 per adult & R13,00 per child (aged 3 to 18) or pensioner.
Importantly, the aquarium also houses and cares for marine animals in distress and educates the local community about marine conservation.
Beautiful views from the aquarium walkways out across the ocean ....
Along with a shark tank built above the shoreline of rocks bordering the aquarium grounds, the aquarium also has some unique displays such as the 3 Cape Pigmy clawed lobsters with are the only specimens ever to be kept in public in the world. We also enjoyed the beautiful shell collection on display.
The wooden walkways make the aquarium both wheelchair and pushchair friendly, and the public toilets were spotless
Newly constructed wooden walkways connect the inside of the aquarium to the outside areas and there is also a wonderful whale viewing platform built out over the sea. A set of blue flags are raised when whales are sighted, and the public can walk along the platform onto the viewing deck to catch a glimpse of these magnificent creatures as they migrate southwards down the coast of South Africa to their arctic feeding grounds. Dolphins can also apparently be seen from the deck from time to time.
There were no whales to be seen the day we were there, but the view from the deck was still amazing
My only criticism is the fact that the aquarium does not have a restaurant or even a small shop – or vending machine – selling cool drinks, snacks etc. It was a very hot day when we were there (and there is no shade along the decks or when you are watching the seal show) and there was no where nearby where we could buy anything to drink. (We were told by aquarium staff that they are awaiting the donation of a fridge which had been promised to them.) With one of the peak South African seasonal holiday’s approaching they would do a wonderful trade by opening a small shop on the premises – especially one selling ice creams !
The Friesland Milk Bar is very well known & has some of the most delicious ice cream & milkshakes you'll ever find !
In order to quench our thirst, we stopped off afterwards at the famous ‘Friesland Milk Bar’ in the Quigney area/suburb of East London near the beach front. Renowned for it’s absolutely delicious selection of freshly made ice creams and milk shakes (at very reasonable prices) this is a ‘must visit’ if you are ever in the area. They also sell to-die-for-delicious caramel or chocolate sauce ice cream toppings which you can take home with you. (Sad to say though, I don’t think they’ll make it in my suitcase all the way home to Tanzania !)
