The Aquarium

When one visits Cape Town there are number of ‘must see’ and ‘must do’ activities that should form part of your agenda. There is the obvious: Table Mountain, whose incredibly flat surface earned itself a spot as one of the 7 wonders of the world. There are the stunning beaches, the beautiful fynbos and the diverse wildlife. Let us not forget one of our major attractions: the V&A Waterfront. This incredible venue is a celebration of South Africa and more appropriately, Cape Town. The Waterfront is home to an array of various shops and restaurants. They boast a wide variety of activities that could entertain both local and international visitors alike. The Waterfront experience is a unique one which can be enjoyed by the whole family. Whatever you seek: whether it be a gourmet meal from an up-scale restaurant; a ‘shop-till-you –drop’ outing with your friends; or a fun day out with the family, the Waterfront is the place you should look to visit. Amongst many other things, this fine establishment is plays host venue to one of the largest Aquariums in the world.

If you are a Capetownian and you are yet to visit the Aquarium I have two things to say to you. Firstly, shame on you. Secondly, do yourself a favour and get off your lazy bum and make the trip down to the V&A Waterfront, and show your face at one of Cape Town’s hidden gems. What an experience. The Aquarium is something most of us have experienced at some point ,usually when we were younger when our parents used to drag us along to anything and everything they thought was mildly educational ,however fun. Just walking around the place you can’t help but notice an abundance of young children running around, their noses pressed up against the glass as they eagerly watch the variety sea-life that calls the Aquarium its home. They are usually accompanied by an over-excited adult who, rather annoyingly say things like: “Ah look at the wittle feesh’s”. However annoying this may be, this is the nature of the crowd at the Aquarium, fair enough.

When someone speaks of the Aquarium you immediately associate it as a place for little children. Sure, you will find people that are genuinely interested in the happenings of the underworld. These marine enthusiasts will be there every so often but the majority of people that experience the Aquarium are young children and families. Personally the last time I was there was when I was a baby-faced 10 year old boy. What surprised me most during my brief outing today was that there was a 10 year gap between my visits. Why have I not been back in so long? Sure the associations with the Aquarium may be rather childish, however the content of information and the animals ‘on display’ are anything but childish. They are real-life. They are interesting. And in a world where things like Global Warming and pollution are so prominent, it is a relative, educational outing that I believe should be enjoyed by everybody, particularly our youth. Do not be confused I’m not talking about the snotty nosed 7 year olds here. I am talking about people like me, we are the future and we should be made aware of some of consequences of Global Warming. The Aquarium had a lot of information not only about the sea animals it was home to but also about the effects of sea pollution on Marine life. Gone are the days of looking at the pretty little fishes .The aquarium is an educational sanctuary.

Although short-lived, my experience of the Aquarium was a fantastic one. I found myself taken aback by some amazing creatures that I had no idea existed. It is scary to think that we know more about the face of the moon then we do about the bottom of the ocean. There are so many beautiful and bizarre creatures out there that we have no idea exist. The ones that we do know about and some that we maybe don’t are all living and waiting for you at the V&A Waterfront. Get your kid off the couch and away from the PlayStation. Get your friends to come down and discover some of the crazy happenings of the underworld. More importantly, get yourself down to the V&A Waterfront, shelve the shopping and fine dining for one afternoon, and educate yourself at the Aquarium. It is a phenomenal experience that you will have to try very hard to forget.