The East London Aquarium is counting the cost of high seas which pounded the esplanade and washed away the front decking at the facility.
Buffalo City Metro Marine Services Head Siani Tilney says huge waves, whipped up by a passing cold front and exacerbated by the Spring High tide, crashed into the aquarium late on Thursday afternoon, causing significant damage.
She says the aquarium will be closed for several days as a result.
"We have lost some boardwalks, we lost some decking, our seal pool enclosure our balustrades have been broken by the waves, so our pools are temporarily closed so that the seals don't come out of the enclosure. We also lost our pumps, motors and pumping for the water supply to the aquarium, so that is quite an emergency for us, to try and secure that so that our animals can have clean water," she said
She says the seal enclosures were hardest hit by the massive swell.
The seals at the aquarium are all fine, except for one that washed out to sea last night. Tilney says it was too dark to see where she went and they hope to find her somewhere along the coastline.
She asked the public to be on the lookout for the seal but to not approach her as she might be frightened and go back into the water.
Picture: FELA: Friends of the East London Aquarium Facebook Page
