On the morning of 20 Janary 2021, we released four juvenile smooth houndsharks into the sea on the lower south coast.

According to theSouth African Association for Marine Biological Research’s (SAAMBR) Ann Kunz, they were born in the Snorkel Lagoon on Monday, 28 December in 2019 and, a month later, were transferred to quarantine.

“We noticed they were not feeding as well as they should have, due to the competition from the other fish and sharks in the exhibit. Time in quarantine saw them flourish and they were soon back on display where they became very popular with visitors to the aquarium and the highlight of many a young (and not so young) snorkeler’s story,” said Kunz.

Smooth houndsharks are seasonal visitors to the lower south coast from January to April and the organisation believes that all four of the young sharks will settle well in the reef and find an abundance of crabs, crayfish, octopi and squid to feed on.

“There are still four smooth houndsharks in the Snorkel Lagoon, so don’t forget to look out for them next time you visit the Aquarium,” she said.