A sunfish was safely released out at sea in Table Bay after it was spotted in shallow waters at the Two Oceans Aquarium drydock.
Thanks to the quick response of the Two Oceans Aquarium Education Foundation and the help of Tandem Cranes, the sunfish was safely released back out at sea after straying too far from its home.
It was spotted in shallow waters next to the aquarium’s draining drydock. The on-site team promptly reported the astray aquatic animal and enlisted the help of Tandem Cranes to transport the sunfish back out to sea.
Sunfish are usually 3m in size and weigh an average of 2.3 tonnes. These gigantic creatures are classed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
The two main threats to sunfish are parasites and fishing pollution. Skin parasites are rampant on sunfish, so much so that other small fish or other birds feast on them. They also frequently get entangled in fishing nets or suffocate on plastic waste.
The aquarium has rescued sunfish before as part of its Marine Wildlife Management Programme, though this was one of the larger ones it has rescued.
Pictures: Two Oceans Aquarium Education Foundation
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