A team of eager marine wildlife carers from the Two Oceans Aquarium helped rescue a huge sunfish that was spotted in a drydock.
Cape Town, South Africa (31 January 2024) – The Marine Wildlife Management team at the Two Oceans Aquarium were alerted to a giant sunfish stranded in one of the V&A Waterfront’s drydocks. They came up with a clever plan to rescue the sunfish and many hands got involved to make it happen!
Johan Coetzee, the manager of the Transnet Robinson Drydock, called the Two Oceans Aquarium to notify the team of a large sunfish trapped in the drydock when they hadstarted lowering the water levels.
Transnet halted the draining of the drydock and had two team members keep an eye on the sunfish until the Marine Wildlife Management team got to the site the next day.
Brett Glasby coordinated the rescue efforts. First the team entered the water and slowly made their way to the fish, conscious not to stress it out. Then they slowly helped guide the fish to a stretcher that was attached to a crane. Once secured, the crane hoisted the fish out of the drydock and placed onto a waiting boat.
Martine Viljoen shared some insight into her experience while guiding the sunfish to the rescue stretcher.
“Simon Brill and I had the opportunity to feel around for the sunfish under the water, and only really got the chance to fully appreciate its impressive size once we’d lifted it to the surface,” said Martine Viljoen of the Marine Wildlife Management Programme.
“While we were guiding it to the stretcher, I could feel the strong flow of water being expelled from its gills, and kept a close watch on its fascinating eyes while we protected it. These rescues are an incredible opportunity to get close to such unique animals, a definite reminder of just how rough the skin of a sunfish can be, but also just how gentle they are.”
According to the Aquarium, this is one of the largest sunfishes they have had the opportunity to work with. It is 600kg, 1.66m long, and 2.11m from fin tip to fin tip. And it isn’t even at its largest yet; this sunfish was just over half of its theoretical maximum adult size!
Sunfish are being studied and this rescue was also the perfect moment for the research division of the Two Oceans Aquarium Foundation to get some hands-on time with the species; they got to collect genetic and parasite samples which will contributed to a global collaboration project in monitoring the diversity and distribution of the species.
Once safely on the boat, the sunfish was transported beyond the harbour and released back into the ocean.
“We would like to thank everyone involved in this rescue – we cannot move a 600kg to safety without an incredible coordinated effort. So, a big thank you to the team from Transnet, Teeman Cranes, the Two Oceans Aquarium Dive School, and the very cooperative (albeit fully captivated) members of the public that supported the Two Oceans Aquarium Foundation in this effort – you make this work possible!” – Two Oceans Aquarium
Sunfish are being studied, as we mentioned above, so the Aquariu encourages the public to reach out if they have any sightings of the species.
“The Two Oceans Aquarium Foundation encourages regular ocean users to record their sightings of all sunfish species to aid in global studies. If you spot a sunfish, simply report your sighting on WhatsApp to 076 092 8573 or email sightings@aquariumfoundation.org.za. Include as much information as possible, but ideally any photos/videos you take, a GPS location or map pin, the date and time of your sighting, and any behaviours you observed.”
Sources: Two Oceans Aquarium
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