Four spotted gully sharks released back into the wild

Four spotted gully sharks in the care of Cape Town’s Two Oceans Aquarium have returned to the sea.

According to the aquarium, the sharks – consisting of three males and one female – were released into the ocean at Mgwalana in the Eastern Cape on 19 October 2026.

STORY OF THE SHARKS

Spotted gully sharks are currently classified as “Near Threatened”, as per the IUCN’s Red List of Threatened Species. They are vulnerable to overfishing, habitat destruction and pollution, among other threats.

The four aforementioned marine animals were housed within the Two Oceans Aquarium’s Kelp Forest Exhibit. Here, they served as ambassadors for their endangered species for several years.

Now, after outgrowing the space, it was time for these endemic marine animals to return to their natural habitat.

BACK TO SEA

With the aid of the aquarium’s Curatorial and Collections team, the sharks were transported from Cape Town to the Eastern Cape. They were transported in an oxygenated chamber.

First, the team found a calm spot with warm water along the beach in Mgwalana. Then, the sharks were stretchered one-by-one into the surf. Each one was given a moment to acclimate to the ocean temperature before the team released the stretcher’s straps.

Kevin Spiby, Curator of Operations and Animal Husbandry at the Two Oceans Aquarium, explains how these sharks naturally took to the seawater:

Each of the sharks swam off into the ocean strongly and confidently. Gully sharks display no parental care, so their natural instincts are hardwired into them from birth. This allows them to adjust easily back to life in the ocean after a period at the Aquarium.

SHARK TRACKING

While parting is such sweet sorrow, the aquarium is still able to keep an eye on their charges from afar:

All four sharks were fitted with acoustic tags that will allow us to track their movements along the coastline, marking another important contribution to our ongoing research on spotted gully sharks along the southern African coastline.

While it’s too soon to say how these sharks are faring nearly two weeks after their release, we’re certain that it won’t be long before their tags start transmitting valuable data.

In related news, the Two Oceans Aquarium released Blue, the ragged-tooth shark, into the ocean off Struisbaai back in March. Much like her spotted gully brethren, Blue’s species is also under severe threat and is currently classified as endangered.