A group of swimmers are set to plunge into the chilly Atlantic to swim 11km from Robben Island to Granger Bay, all in a mission to protect endangered turtles.
Cape Town, South Africa (26 March 2026) – A courageous team of open-water swimmers will embark on an extraordinary adventure between 14 and 28 April, braving the chilly seas from Robben Island to Granger Bay, all in a remarkable effort to protect endangered sea turtles.
Granger Bay carries powerful meaning as the chosen destination. It will soon become home to the Two Oceans Aquarium Foundation’s state-of-the-art Turtle Conservation Centre, located within the vibrant V&A Waterfront’s Granger Bay development.
“The new Turtle Conservation Centre will significantly expand our ability to rescue, rehabilitate, and release sea turtles,” says Talitha Noble-Trull, Conservation Manager at the Two Oceans Aquarium Foundation.
“It will also create an opportunity for the public to engage more deeply with conservation and understand the journey these animals take back to the wild.”
Connected by their love for the ocean and commitment to protecting its most vulnerable inhabitants, the team of swimmers will be diving into the Atlantic to raise funds for the Foundation’s current Turtle Conservation Centre.
Turtle Conservation Centre began as a small rehabilitation effort and over the past three decades has grown into a recognised programme that has successfully rescued, rehabilitated, and released more than 1,300 turtles.
This work is made possible by a team of 10 full-time staff, supported by around 90 volunteers and more than 2,000 members of the Turtle Rescue Network, which spans South Africa’s coastline. The support of donors and partners also plays a vital role in the impact of the facility.
The odds are stacked against turtles from the very beginning of their lives, with only one or two out of every 1,000 hatchlings surviving to adulthood. Every hatchling rescued is a life saved. Each year, hundreds of these tiny turtles wash ashore along the Cape coast, cold, emaciated, and exhausted. As South Africa’s go-to facility for stranded turtles, the Turtle Conservation Centre plays a critical role in nursing hatchlings back to health after stranding caused by cold stunning.
The Centre also cares for subadult and adult turtles, where each successful release represents a profound, long-term contribution to species survival. These turtles have the chance to lay eggs of their own, helping to secure the future of their endangered species.
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Thanks to these dedicated conservation efforts, hundreds get a second chance every year, and now you can be part of that story.
You can donate towards the upcoming fundraising swim and share a message of encouragement, and ultimately be part of something bigger: giving more turtles a fighting chance!
Sources: Two Oceans Aquarium Foundation
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