Diary

South African underwater Stock Footage

Steven Benjamin has been filming in South african waters for many years and has captured some unique once off events such as seals feasting on pockets of Sardines in a Kelp forest or Humpback whales feeding on krill. Some sights like a swarm of Hagfish devouring a fish carcass are over looked but incredibly interesting. The footage below… Read More

Nurdle spill appears around the Cape Peninsula

Seal Snorkeling, Cape Town, South Africa, Hout Bay
Ever heard of a nurdle? Nurdles - the raw material used in plastic production Local residents and organisations in Cape Town have been collecting these teeny plastic pellets over the last few days, as hundreds of thousands of them have been washing up on our shores. These resin pellets are the raw material used in plastic production, and… Read More

My Octopus Teacher

Seal Snorkeling, Cape Town, South Africa, Hout Bay
All of us at Animal Ocean want to take a moment to celebrate and highlight an incredible film – “My Octopus Teacher”, created in Cape Town’s kelp forests by a seriously dedicated and talented group of ocean humans. We hope that this little blog post adds to the worldwide wave of exposure to this one-of-a-kind undersea story. Well done to… Read More

Otterly Amazing! Surprised by a Cape clawless otter

Seal Snorkeling, Cape Town, South Africa, Hout Bay
With the lockdown regulations in South Africa being eased somewhat, many have taken to getting back into the ocean to surf, freedive and swim... Owner of Animal Ocean Steve Benjamin encountered this old Cape clawless otter on one such occasion after a day at sea - and then found him again the next day! Sharing a moment in an otters den for the… Read More

Seal Snorkeling Surviving COVID-19

Seal Snorkeling, Cape Town, South Africa, Hout Bay
Navigating the effects of COVID-19 on the Tourism Industry Looking forward! Animal Ocean needs YOUR support! With the emergence of COVID-19 the 2020 winter (quiet!) season in Cape Town arrived unexpectedly, forcing tourism businesses to close 3 months earlier than usual. The Tourism Industry worldwide is experiencing massive losses, and… Read More

The History of Animal Ocean

Seal Snorkeling, Cape Town, South Africa, Hout Bay
Seal Snorkeling since 2009! Animal Ocean was founded in Cape Town in 2009 by Steve Benjamin, after spending time in the warmer waters of Kwazulu-Natal working with a marine expeditions company. Having previously studied Zoology and Ichthyology (fish science) Steve’s natural interest and curiosity about the natural world paired with this… Read More

SEAL RESCUE – Animal Ocean Saves Baby Seals!

Seal Snorkeling, Cape Town, South Africa, Hout Bay
A real Animal Ocean Archive story – Cape fur seal pup rescue December 2014 It has become legend amongst the staff of Animal Ocean that the period between Christmas and New Year’s is a week (or at least a few days) that will most likely mean a break from the rush of the summer Seal Snorkeling season. Why is this so, when it is a period that… Read More