We’ve already hit some seriously bad weather in Ballito, and unfortunately, it followed us all the way to Durban. After spending an entire day practically trapped in the truck by non-stop rain, we decided it was time for some crazy indoor activity — so we headed to uShaka Marine World.
Located on Durban’s Golden Mile, uShaka is a 16-hectare marine theme park that combines one of Africa’s largest aquariums with a full range of family entertainment. Its aquarium is also among the world’s largest by water volume, with 32 tanks containing around 17,500 cubic metres of water. The underwater viewing galleries are built around a fascinating replica of a 1920s cargo shipwreck, making the whole experience feel like walking through a sunken vessel.
The aquarium is home to more than 300 species and around 10,000 marine animals, including enormous brindle bass weighing more than 250 kg, as well as sharks, rays, turtles and delicate seahorses. It also has interactive attractions such as a ray touch pool and snorkelling lagoon, along with live presentations featuring dolphins, seals, and African penguins.
One of the most unusual experiences is the Cargo Hold restaurant, where you can have a meal right beside a huge aquarium tank filled with sharks — definitely not your everyday dinner view.
And uShaka is much more than just an aquarium. The complex also includes Wet’ n Wild, a freshwater water park with high-speed slides and a lazy river, while Village Walk at the entrance combines shops, restaurants and other entertainment.
With the rain still hammering Durban outside, spending the day surrounded by sharks, rays and penguins turned out to be a pretty good alternative to sightseeing in a soaked city.
Parking location – Durban: 29.9295925S 31.0047792E (🚻,🚿,🏊,💦,🔌,🅿️110 ZAR/pax)