Be conservation-conscious

At SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium, you can see endangered, as well as critically endangered marine life. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) maintains a ‘Red List of Threatened Species,’ designating seven levels of conservation. Each depicts a threat level, ranging from ‘least concern’ to ‘extinct.’ An animal’s classification is based on range, habitat and actual population. That’s why a species can be of least concern in one location, and endangered in another.

 

Day and Night on The Reef: Turtles

The Great Barrier Reef is in decline, with nearly all Sea Turtles classified as endangered. So, at SEA LIFE Sydney, we’ve recreated this incredible ecosystem and welcomed three Sea Turtles: Dave, Chong and Myrtle. Purpose-designed for this shelled species, our Day and Night on The Reef exhibit is inspired by the world’s largest coral reef system. With these three turtles as our reptile stars, we can pass on our turtle conservation message about how important it is to preserve their unique habitat.

Day and Night on The Reef: Sawfish 

Part of the Ray family, the critically endangered Australian Sawfish were once plentiful, but are now one of the world’s most threatened species. With a distinctive tooth-edged rostrum that resembles a saw, Sawfish have suffered from over-fishing, hunting and loss of habitat. At SEA LIFE Sydney, our Sawfish, Ryobi and Roger, call our Day and Night on the Reef exhibit, home. This year we celebrated Endangered Species Day to shine a light on the plight of these unique creatures. At the same time, we’ve teamed up with Sharks and Rays Australia (SARA) to motivate the public to report sightings of Sawfish in the wild or a Sawfish rostrum on display. This timely and precise information could make all the difference to this species.

Shark Dive Extreme: Grey Nurse Shark

On Australia’s east coast, these gorgeous sharks are critically endangered. They’re a chilled out species, which are not hungry for humans. Hanging out in the sandy shallows and rock caves, they love to snack on squid, rays, fish and crustaceans. For a guaranteed Grey Nurse Shark encounter, take the plunge with our Shark Dive Extreme experience. Let these incredible sharks wow you, while you swim with rays, groupers and hundreds of other sea creatures!

South Coast Shipwreck: Little Penguins

Meet our gorgeous Little Penguins as they dart aerodynamically through the water and preen their feathers on the beach at our South Coast Shipwreck zone. Although our colony of Little Penguins are thriving, others aren’t so lucky. Penguin problems are localised; in Sydney, our beloved Manly colony are critically endangered. Not able to survive on land alone, these flightless, black-and-white birds take to the seas in search of delicious fish and squid. Meet our penguin posse: Spinner, Mr Black and Raptor.

SEA LIFE Conservation

We love our sea creatures, and that’s why we champion conservation. Through our campaigns, research and education initiatives, we advocate for ending plastic pollution, sustainable fishing and Marine Protected Areas. We want to give voice to our vision: respecting and conserving critical marine habitats.