Bayworld Museum Marine Mammals

02/09/2026

🎉🦭 Happy 170th Birthday, Bayworld! 🐧🌊

Today we celebrate 170 years of an institution that has become such an important part of Port Elizabeth’s history and South Africa’s natural heritage. 💙

Bayworld has come a very long way since its beginnings in a single room at the Atheneum, through its time in a single house in Bird Street, to its current home since the 1960s. And what an incredible place it has become!

Today, Bayworld is home to the largest marine mammal collection in the Southern Hemisphere, a wonderful population of African penguins, some very special sea turtles, and Sammy, our much-loved Cape fur seal who recently celebrated her 21st birthday! 🦭🎂

We’re also incredibly proud to be home to the oldest New Caledonian giant gecko in captivity. 🦎

But perhaps what makes Bayworld truly special is its people. From the marine mammal and wildlife teams to the rehabilitation and stranding response teams, there are so many dedicated people working behind the scenes every day to care for animals, respond to emergencies, rehabilitate wildlife and contribute to conservation. ❤️

170 years is an incredible milestone, but this is certainly not the end of Bayworld’s story. We’re excited to see what the future holds and look forward to the redevelopment and the next chapter of this very special place. 🌊

Happy Birthday, Bayworld! Here’s to 170 years of history, wildlife, conservation and countless stories still to come. 🎉💙

31/08/2026

🦭 Marine Mammal Monday: Pebbles Update! 🦭

It’s been a little while since we checked in on Pebbles! 💙

This handsome boy is continuing his rehabilitation journey at Bayworld, where he is being closely monitored by the marine mammal team. He’s been keeping everyone on their toes, but we’re happy to see him continuing to make progress. 🐟🌊

Every day is another step closer to the ocean. 🥰🦭

25/08/2026

🐋 A heartbreaking dwarf s***m whale stranding near Jeffreys Bay

On the morning of 13th of August, a young whale was reported stranded alive at Kabeljous near Jeffreys Bay.

The local NSRI Station 37, first responders on behalf of Bayworld, sent through photographs and videos. Although initially reported as a dolphin, Bayworld staff identified the animal as a dwarf s***m whale.

The young whale was stabilised on the beach while Bayworld biologists and veterinary staff from Oribi Animal Clinic assessed its condition. Unfortunately, it had injuries to its lower jaw and was very young, likely still dependent on its mother. The whale was reported to the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE), who gave for it to be euthanised to prevent further suffering.

Dr Sibu Ngqulana and Mfundo Kanana from Bayworld conducted a necropsy.

But the story became even more heartbreaking.

NSRI Station 37 was notified of another dwarf s***m whale stranded a few kilometres further along the coast towards the Gamtoos River Mouth. This time, they found a much larger animal that was already deceased.

The second animal was an adult female, and given the timing and proximity of the two strandings, it is highly likely that she was the mother of the calf.

During her necropsy, she was also found to be pregnant.

Interestingly, adult female dwarf and pygmy s***m whales can be pregnant and lactating at the same time. A similar situation was documented following a mother-and-calf stranding in Mossel Bay earlier this year.

Dwarf s***m whales are a relatively little-studied species, which makes strandings like these incredibly valuable from a research perspective. The Bayworld team was able to collect important samples and record valuable biological data during the necropsies, adding to the research collection and helping us learn more about this elusive species.

While the outcome of these strandings was incredibly sad, the information collected from these animals will hopefully help us better understand their biology, ecology and the challenges they face in our waters.

A huge thank you to NSRI Station 37, Oribi Animal Clinic and DFFE, as well as everyone involved in the Bayworld response, assessment, necropsies and collection of scientific samples.

Even in the saddest strandings, there is still something we can learn. 🐋💙

18/08/2026

Belated Marine Mammal Monday 🦭💙 A Minute of Pebbles' Shenanigans! 🌊

If you've been wondering how our little "subbie" is doing, we think these clips speak for themselves. 😂

Pebbles is doing very well and certainly isn't short on personality! This curious little seal is playful, feisty, spicy and, quite frankly, determined to be involved in absolutely everything. 🦭😂

One of his favourite tricks is climbing up onto his crate before sliding down a wooden pole, usually while making sure someone is watching. Because apparently, being adorable isn't enough... he also needs an audience! 😂

Pebbles also has a serious talent for being under your feet at all times. Whether we're working, cleaning or going about our day, he wants to know exactly what's happening. And, of course, if there's fish involved, he's right there to make sure nobody forgets about him. 👀🐟

💙 The best news is that all his hard work is paying off. Pebbles is eating well, gaining weight and continuing to make great progress in his rehabilitation journey.

From a tiny, emaciated seal who needed a helping hand to this curious little troublemaker who insists on being part of everything, we're so proud of how far he's come. 🥹💙

10/08/2026

🌸🔬 Celebrating Women in Science: Meet Dr Sibu Ngqulana 💙

This Women’s Day, we are celebrating the women behind the scenes who help make Bayworld a place of research, learning and conservation.

Meet Dr Sibu Ngqulana, Bayworld’s Collections Manager. 🐚🦴

Sibu holds an MSc in Zoology and a PhD in dolphin taxonomy, and has been part of the Bayworld team since 2011 — an incredible 15 years of dedication to zoology, research and natural history at Bayworld. 💙

Sibu’s journey at Bayworld began shortly after completing her MSc in Zoology, when she was placed at Bayworld through an NRF internship in 2011. Originally from the Eastern Cape, she saw the opportunity as a chance to build a career in zoology while contributing to her home province.

What began as an internship soon became something much more.

After completing her internship, Sibu remained at Bayworld to complete a PhD on dolphin taxonomy. Following that, she was employed on a short-term contract. When that came to an end, she continued as a volunteer rather than leave the place she had grown so passionate about. When the post for Collections Manager was advertised, she applied. Being the most experienced and qualified applicant, she was the obvious person for the job.

Sibu has continued to play an important role in caring for and sharing Bayworld’s natural history collections ever since.

For Sibu, the value of a collection goes far beyond the specimens themselves. Every specimen has a story.

Her work allows her to connect the specimens housed in the collection with the animals that they came from, and to the fieldwork and experiences behind them. Sometimes, seeing a specimen and its accession number can bring back memories of collecting that animal, completing a necropsy or working in the field.

Her days as Collections Manager are wonderfully varied, involving everything from prey identification and marine mammal research to herpetology, specimen preparation, sorting, labelling, administration and fieldwork. No two days are quite the same.

One of Sibu’s most memorable experiences at Bayworld was assisting with a Kogia dissection in Plettenberg Bay in 2011. It was her first time working in the Garden Route and one of the projects that helped shape her love for the work she does.

What she enjoys most about her role is being able to share the collection and the knowledge it contains with all kinds of people, showing why natural history collections matter and how they contribute to research, education and conservation.

Sibu also believes that Bayworld is so much more than a museum. Behind the scenes, it is a place of research, education, rehabilitation and discovery, helping us understand the animals and environments around us.

Her journey has been shaped by wonderful, enthusiastic people and a willingness to keep learning. Her advice to young women interested in science, conservation or museum careers?

💙 Be eager to learn new things. Don’t become too comfortable. Science can surprise you, and you might just discover something you fall in love with, as she did.

This Women’s Day, we celebrate Sibu and all the women whose passion, knowledge and dedication continue to contribute to science and conservation. 🌊🔬💙

03/08/2026

🦭💙 Marine Mammal Monday: Meet Pebbles! 🌊

Two weeks ago, Bayworld welcomed another remarkable winter visitor.

Meet Pebbles — a yearling male Subantarctic fur seal. Affectionately known as Pebbles by our team, he was originally named PiliPili after the beach where he was rescued. 💙

Pebbles was found near Sedgefield in extremely poor body condition. He was small, emaciated, and even had many barnacles attached to his rump, indicating that he had likely spent a considerable amount of time drifting at sea before eventually washing ashore.

His rescue was made possible through an incredible collaborative effort involving the Strandloper Project, the Sedgefield Stranding Network, CapeNature, the Plett Stranding Network, and Bayworld. Many dedicated individuals worked together to give this young seal a second chance.

Following his rescue by Mark Dixon of the Strandloper Project, Pebbles was transported to Chanel Visser of CapeNature in Plettenberg Bay, where she stabilised him by providing rehydration fluids. He was then collected by Mfundo Kanana of Bayworld for the next part of his journey.

💙 Despite being emaciated, his feisty nature gave us reason for optimism from the very beginning.

During his first week at Bayworld, Pebbles was carefully intubated with fish gruel while he regained his strength. After just one week, he began eating solid fish on his own, a fantastic milestone in his rehabilitation journey. He has continued to do very well ever since.

Since arriving at Bayworld on 21 July, Pebbles has continued to receive specialised care, regular health assessments, careful monitoring, and plenty of nutritious meals to help him continue regaining his strength. We are delighted with the progress he has made so far and look forward to sharing the rest of his rehabilitation journey with you.

A heartfelt thank you to the Strandloper Project, Sedgefield Stranding Network, CapeNature, the Plett Stranding Network, Mark Dixon, Chanel Visser, Bayworld staff, interns and volunteers, and everyone else involved in Pebbles' rescue, transport and rehabilitation.

Every successful rescue and rehabilitation is a team effort, and partnerships like these demonstrate how collaboration is essential for marine mammal conservation. 💙

💙 Follow our page as we continue to share Pebbles' rehabilitation journey. We can't wait for you to get to know this special little "subbie"!

28/07/2026

🦭💙 Wilfred Update! 💙🦭

A belated Marine Mammal Monday update from our favourite little "subbie"! 🌊

Wilfred has been enjoying a delicious fishy lunch and doesn't seem to mind the rainy weather one bit. 🐟🌧️

Our little explorer had a bit of a rough weekend after experiencing some indigestion and a sore tummy, but we're happy to report that he made a speedy recovery and is back to his curious, playful and adorable self. 💙

He's keeping the Marine Mammal Team entertained with his cheeky personality, healthy appetite and endless curiosity as he continues his rehabilitation at Bayworld.

Thank you to everyone who has been following Wilfred's journey and cheering him on. We look forward to sharing more updates as he continues to grow stronger. 🦭✨

28/07/2026

23/07/2026

🦭 Wilfred update! 💙

Someone has been busy exploring, climbing and generally keeping the Rehabilitation Team entertained. 😄

We thought we'd share a few of our favourite moments from Wilfred's first days at Bayworld.🩵