Join the Two Oceans Aquarium Trash Bash team to clean up Hout Bay beach on Saturday, 16 November 2024 and celebrate the 2nd birthday of this brilliant community initiative.
With the African penguin being declared “critically endangered” by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the Two Oceans Aquarium’s Trash Bash team is drilling down in its efforts to make the ocean a safer place for marine animals.
Come and support the Trash Bash and Dive School teams in doing their bit for the survival of the African penguin population on the fourth and last Hout Bay-based Trash Bash of the year. Hout Bay Beach was officially adopted by the Two Oceans Aquarium’s five-star PADI Dive School, and they have shown commitment to this beach during their 2024 ocean cleanup initiative.
WHEN: Saturday, 16 November 2024 : 09h00 to 11h00
WHERE: Hout Bay Beach – Two Oceans Aquarium Trash Bash Birthday Celebration
WHAT TO BRING: Weather-appropriate clothing, a bucket for trash collection, water (in a reusable bottle), reusable gloves (like the ones you’d use for gardening or doing dishes), and a smile!
Trash Bash – a step to save a species
For the last two years, the Two Oceans Aquarium and partners have called on South Africans to take action to save the African penguin, which is facing extinction in the wild by 2035. This call has been made under the banner of the #NotOnOurWatch African Penguin Awareness campaign.
The #NotOnOurWatch campaign was launched in March 2023 to shed light on the plight of the critically endangered African penguin. “Not only is this iconic seabird the only penguin species on the African continent, but it is also one of Cape Town’s most recognisable species, a huge tourism drawcard, and an integral part of our unique ocean ecosystem. Unfortunately, their numbers have declined dramatically in the last century, with an estimated ~8 750 breeding pairs in the wild today. If this decline continues, the African penguin will be functionally extinct in just 10 years,” said Shanet Rutgers, Head Penguin Keeper at the Two Oceans Aquarium.
With their new status as critically endangered on the IUCN’s Red List, the African penguin needs our help more than ever. This shocking and important designation necessitates immediate action if the African penguin is to be saved from extinction.
Beach cleanups like the Two Oceans Aquarium’s Trash Bash events are one way that individuals can make a difference.
“Beach cleanups are vital as they prevent plastic and other trash from being deposited into the ocean and beyond our shores. Cleaning a beach is one of many easy and fun ways to contribute to a healthy natural environment while providing data for scientific studies. It is also an opportunity to connect with nature,” said Helen Lockhart, Conservation & Sustainability Manager for the Two Oceans Aquarium.
Preventing plastic pollution on our beaches
The fight for a healthy ocean reaches beyond a single Trash Bash event; it is a daily endeavour we encourage our ocean-loving community to take on. A first defence against plastic pollution in our oceans is to make more conscious decisions around our everyday plastic use. Some easy-to-implement suggestions are to buy fresh rather than prepacked fruit and vegetables, to pass on the balloons at your upcoming birthday party and opt for alternatives like flags or bunting, refuse a straw for your drink or a lid for your takeaway coffee, and say no to single-use plastic bags.
Be a part of this exciting day on the beach as we come together as a community to protect the precious biodiversity of our oceans. Let’s stop the cycle of pollution and remove litter from our beaches before it endangers the marine wildlife in our coastal waters and beyond.
WHAT: Two Oceans Aquarium Trash Bash
WHERE: Hout Bay Beach
WHEN: Saturday, 16 November 2024 : 09h00 to 11h00
INFO: Heather Wares – Communications Manager Two Oceans Aquarium T +27 21 814 4539 | E HWares@aquarium.co.za | VISIT
See also Cape Town Green COASTAL Map and Cape Town Green Map
The WHAT, WHY & WHERE of the
arts scene in around Cape Town
see the 2025 art craft + museums map
and listen in to the
Arts Round Up Fridays @17:30
on Fine Music Radio FMR 101.3fm
The FMR App makes it even easier to tune into the Arts Round Up on Fridays! i-Phone HERE | Android HERE
Another reason Cape Town is placed 3rd in Time Out’s World’s Best Cities for Culture!
