AQWA’s ‘Eggstraordinary’ Port Jackson Shark pup 🥚🦈
A premature Port Jackson Shark has beaten the odds in a wonderful story of care, expertise and dedication for AQWA’s team of Aquarists and Marine Scientists.
The shark pup in question ‘hatched’ from its protective egg case at approximately 3 months, while standard incubation is closer to 10 or 11 months.
Placed into facilities where conditions best replicated those inside an actual egg, the embryo was able to ‘feed’ from its connected yolk-sack and mature while being monitored by our team.
Over the last few months, our team were lucky enough to witness up close the progressive development of the sharks gills, teeth, fins and skin - including the striking dark markings and shapes PJ’s are known for.
We are very pleased to share that after a fin-omenal journey, the pup has reached full gestation, depleting the yolk sack and is now eating, growing and thriving!
Make sure you read the full story here 📲 www.aqwa.com.au/aqwa-articles/aqwas-eggstraordinary-port-jackson-pup/
Get Up Close with 25% off snorkel or dive experiences at AQWA 🤿🦈
Celebrate Shark Month and come face to fin with sharks, rays and iconic WA marine life in Australia’s largest single aquarium!
Treat yourself or someone special to a snorkel or dive experience/gift card now 📲 www.aqwa.com.au/experience/
There’s lots going on at AQWA these school holidays 🦈
Dive into Shark Month with our exhilarating Eco-Teen Shark Swim Experience, or journey behind the scenes as a Junior Marine Scientist!
Plus for the little ones, magical tales in daily Storytime Beneath the Sea ✨
Sea for yourself these school holidays at AQWA.
Rescue Turtle, Pip 🐢
Thank you to the thoughtful member of the public that contacted us when they found a turtle washed up on Coogee Beach! Thank you also the wonderful vets at WA Wildlife for their assistance with the initial medical assessment and treatment.
Pipsqueak (aka Pip) is a juvenile loggerhead turtle likely to have hatched earlier this year from a beach in the state's north west. They are not quite 7cm long and weigh less than 50g! Pip's previous shell and flipper injuries are all but healed, however Pip does have pneumonia and an eye infection, which are being treated by our team.
Pip will stay in a special quarantine area at AQWA for the next 4-6 weeks while we continue medical treatment.
Pip's prognosis is encouraging, and when healthy they will be moved to our Turtle Rehabilitation Pool.
Not sure if Pip is male or female? That's okay, neither are we! At this age sea turtles don't have external features that distinguish males from females, only when they reach sexual maturity does this develop - and that can take decades.
Keep an eye out for future updates on Pip's rehabilitation journey at AQWA ❤️🩹
Ningaloo Marine Park Turtle Release 🐢
We are excited to share that we released six endangered Loggerhead Sea Turtles into Ningaloo Marine Park last Thursday!
With support from the AQWA Foundation, this was a special collaboration between AQWA and the Dolphin Discovery Centre, seeing rehabilitated turtles from both facilities safely transported and released off WA's North West Cape.
Made possible through the generous assistance of Western Australia's Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, along with Parks Australia, we would like to say a special thank you to Parks and Wildlife Service, Western Australia in Exmouth for all their support.
Thanks also to Sherae Petlink and Qantas Freight for their help in facilitating our very early morning departure.
Great to have photographer, diver and ocean enthusiast, Nick Thake on-board, and in the water, to capture fantastic vision of the release.
Watch the journey to Exmouth and the release of Dusty, Hunter, Tommy, Jessie, Bruce and Peppy.
Read the full story here 📲 www.aqwa.com.au/aqwa-articles/a-bale-of-sea-turtles-go-back-to-the-big-blue/
Calling all Perth adventurers 🦈🤿
Come face to fin with sharks, rays and iconic WA marine life with a snorkel or dive experience in Australia’s largest single aquarium at AQWA!
Find out more and book online now 📲 www.aqwa.com.au/experience/
MARINE MUMS: Grey Nurse Shark 🦈
Say hello to our next feature in the Marine Mums series, the female Grey Nurse Shark!
Did you know?
🦈 Courtship involves the male following the female closely, biting her pectoral fins or body - a very different way of showing interest!
🦈 Grey Nurse Shark mums can develop multiple eggs in one or both of her two uteri.
🦈 When this occurs the growing young sharks will fight for survival inside each uterus, consuming their siblings until only the largest and strongest remains!
🦈 The surviving pups remain seperate from their other sibling, ensuring mum will give birth to two strong, healthy babies that are a sizeable 1-1.5m long by the time they are born.
Stay tuned for our last Marine Mum next week… 🦈
Welcome to week three of our Marine Mums series, celebrating all our different mums this month.
Today we journey beneath the sea to meet a familiar creature with one species well known for a starring movie role… the Clownfish! 🤡 🐠
Did you know?
🐠 Clownfish live in small groups called harems made up of males and one dominant female who is both a mum and leader of the group. The harems can’t thrive without a mum. So much so, that if the mum dies, the head male changes gender to become the new mum of the household!
🐠 It’s the Clownfish mum’s job to protect the family, while dad prepares the nest and cares for the eggs.
🐠 After selecting a nesting site within an anemone, the Clownfish mum will fiercely guard her home.
🐠 If she detects a threat she will clack her jaws together, creating a noisy alarm system to deter intruders.
Up next… 🦈
Surprise! It’s two baby Blue Spotted Stingrays
💙Brother & Sister💗
Our mumma Blue Spotted Stingray recently welcomed two new pups to the AQWA family!
Born live (picture a rolled up French crêpe!), with their characteristic blue spots unraveling, both pups the size of an entree plate.
Stingray pups need to be competent swimmers almost immediately when they are born. So, after just a few minutes of disorientation, (while they figure out which way is up, and how their muscles work) baby rays can swim, move and survive just like their adult mother!Zero parental care needed..or given…
These two babies have been moved to their own special tank in Danger Zone for now, so be sure to keep your eye out for them on your next visit ☺️
The stormy weather must have set the mood for our male seahorse who gave birth to over 100 fry last night ⛈️
These little beauties are only the size of your little finger nail but have quite the appetite..eating plenty of those white speckles in the water column,known as zooplankton.
The four interlinked are finding comfort in each other as they float amongst the current 🫧
🤿 If you're a snorkeling enthusiast aged 14 or above, grab up to three buddies (or tackle it solo) and embark on this unforgettable adventure.
Prepare to explore Australia’s largest single aquarium, housing a staggering 3 million liters of aquatic wonder! Guided by our experienced PADI qualified Divemasters, you'll embark on an underwater odyssey like no other. It’s an aquatic escapade you won’t want to miss!
Go on..do it 🦈 🐢 🐟
https://www.aqwa.com.au/products/snorkel-with-sharks-age-14/
🥂 What a perfect way to finish an already unforgettable Dine Beneath the Sea experience last night 🥂…….wait till the end 🎆
Another glorious morning on the Ocean Deck, visit today and Sea For Yourself 🐠 🐙 🦈
🎉🌊 🥳 Happy 36th birthday to us! 🥳🐠🎂
Today, we celebrate over three decades of oceanic wonder and marine education!
Since opening its doors 36 years ago, AQWA has been a beacon of marine discovery, inviting visitors to embark on unforgettable journeys beneath the waves 🌊
From the colorful coral reefs of Ningaloo to the depths of the Indian Ocean, AQWA showcases the incredible biodiversity of Western Australia’s coastal waters.
Through immersive exhibits, interactive experiences, and educational programs, AQWA inspires curiosity and fosters a deeper appreciation for our marine environment. From the tiniest seahorse to the mightiest grey nurse shark 🦈 every creature has a story to tell, and AQWA is dedicated to sharing those stories with the world.
But AQWA is more than just a place to admire marine life—it’s a hub for conservation and stewardship. Through research, advocacy, and community engagement, AQWA works tirelessly to protect and preserve our oceans for future generations.
So here’s to 36 years of wonder, discovery, and conservation! Here’s to many more years of inspiring oceanic adventures!
Today we treated our fishy friends with a delicious cake they thoroughly enjoyed 🐟 🎂
🎉🌊 🥳 Happy 36th birthday to us! 🥳🐠🎂
Today, we celebrate over three decades of oceanic wonder and marine education!
Since opening its doors 36 years ago, AQWA has been a beacon of marine discovery, inviting visitors to embark on unforgettable journeys beneath the waves 🌊
From the colorful coral reefs of Ningaloo to the depths of the Indian Ocean, AQWA showcases the incredible biodiversity of Western Australia’s coastal waters.
Through immersive exhibits, interactive experiences, and educational programs, AQWA inspires curiosity and fosters a deeper appreciation for our marine environment. From the tiniest seahorse to the mightiest grey nurse shark 🦈 every creature has a story to tell, and AQWA is dedicated to sharing those stories with the world.
But AQWA is more than just a place to admire marine life—it’s a hub for conservation and stewardship. Through research, advocacy, and community engagement, AQWA works tirelessly to protect and preserve our oceans for future generations.
So here’s to 36 years of wonder, discovery, and conservation! Here’s to many more years of inspiring oceanic adventures!
Today we treated our fishy friends with a delicious cake they thoroughly enjoyed 🐟 🎂
Theres SO much to sea and do these school holidays at AQWA 💦 🧑🔬 👨🔬 Book your junior ocean warrior into one of our Marine Scientist programs 🤿 Book your teen into our Eco program which includes a Shark Swim 🦈 📕 Story Time Beneath the Sea @ 9.30am everydayPlus 🪸 🐉 The Magical Weedy Sea Dragon Theatre Show (limited days and times) Check our website for more details
Happy World Seagrass Day! 🌱
Did you know that Western Australia boasts the largest AND most diverse seagrass meadows in the world? 🌏
The With a whopping 27 different species covering an estimated 20,000 square kilometres, it’s truly a marine wonderland! 🌿 But wait, there’s more!..
In Shark Bay, there’s a superstar seagrass plant that’s been thriving for a mind-blowing 4,500 years! 🌿
This ancient marvel covers over 200km², earning it the title of the world’s largest organism and the honor of being the world’s oldest colonial plant! 🏆
Meanwhile, in Cockburn Sound, just south of Perth, another vibrant seagrass ecosystem exists. However, it’s faced challenges, losing around 80% of its meadows over the last century due to industrial development. 😔
But fear not! 🦸♂️ Community groups like @ozfishunlimited are diving into action, working tirelessly to restore the seagrass meadows 🌱
The Aquarium of Western Australia is also joining the mission, supported by the AQWA Foundation, to protect the precious seahorse populations that call this ecosystem home. 🐠💙
So, let’s celebrate World Seagrass Day by marveling at the beauty and importance of these underwater gardens and pledging to protect them for generations to come!
💧🌱💧🌱💧🌱💧🌱💧🌱💧🌱💧
