NamibWeb.com - The online guide to Namibia: Swakopmund aquarium

The National Marine Aquarium of Namibia

Open: Tuesdays - Sundays
10h00 - 16h00

Closed: Mondays, Christmas and New Year's days

Feeding: Daily at 15h00
Feeding by divers: Tuesdays, Saturdays and Sundays

Species that may be found in the Aquarium:

Galjoen, West Coast Steenbras, Baardman, Ragged-tooth Shark, Shyshark, Kipfish, African penguin, Cape cormorant, Blacktail,
Redfingers, Horse mackerel, Octopus, Green turtle, Pipefish, hermit crab, kelp gull, White pelican, Anemone, Horseshoe sea cucumber, Spotted grunter, Mullet, Spotted gully shark, Blue-spotted ray, Sand shrimp, Crumb-of-bread sponge, Silver kob, Barbel, Houndshark, Eagle, ray, Hawksbill turtle, Three-spot swimming crab, Red crab, Cape fur seal.

Commercial species of Namibia:

Chub mackerel, Horse mackerel, Deepwater hake, Orange roughy, Alfonsino, West Coast Sole, Kingklip, Cape hake, Mako shark, Red crab, Cape rock lobster, anchovy, Pilchard, Mullet, Silver, kob, Monkfish, Swordfish, Snoek, Yellowfin tuna, Blue shark and Cape fur seal.

The National Aquarium opens a window to the wonders of marine life found in the cold Benguela Current off the coast of Southern Africa.

Seawater, drawn from the old jetty, is pumped through a series of filter systems before reaching the exhibition tanks. The main tanks has a holding capacity of 320 000 litres, is 12 m long and 8 m wide. An underwater walk-way allows the visitor to view sharks, rays and fishes from close range. The smaller exhibition tanks house organisms from the inshore waters, mainly found along sandy and rocky beaches.

Numerous information posters line the walls of the Aquarium. Scientific information, regarding the rich resources of Namibia, is simply, yet comprehensively displayed.

The functions of the National Marine Aquarium are to disseminate information about Namibian marine life, to enhance visitors about the sensitivity and complexity of the Benguela System and to serve as a place of recreation for those who merely want to put their feet up and relax.

Feeding takes place each day at 15h00. Fishes in the main tank are fed 8-10 kg of filled hake. Specialises feeds are prepared for the filter-feeders (such as mussels and barnacles) and smaller creatures such as crabs, anemones, starfishes and sea snails.