Cape Town, South Africa - Recent (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
1. Children in front of big tank in aquarium
2. Various of sea turtle swimming, other marine life
3. Piece of plastic drifting in tank
4. Jellyfish swimming
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Siyolise Bezu, turtle aquarist, Turtle Conservation Center, Two Oceans Aquarium Foundation (partially overlaid with shot 6):
"If they eat plastic, it'll get caught up in those pointy structures, so they're not able to regurgitate it out. So they have to swallow it in."
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6. Photo of pointy structures in digestive tract of sea turtle, sea turtle trying to vomit
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7. Various of sea turtle swimming in pool
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Heather Wares, communications manager, Two Oceans Aquarium (ending with shots 9-10):
"What is so terrifying about this artwork is that it is made up of plastic that came out of one of our turtles called Booky. When she first came in, she was very ill and not eating, and then she pooped out all of this plastic."
9. Artwork of sea turtle made of plastic
10. Various of sea turtle swimming, children watching marine life in aquarium

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠On the occasion of the World Environment Day, an aquarium in South Africa has delivered a stark warning about the deadly impact of plastic pollution on marine life.

In his video speech on Thursday, which marks the World Environment Day 2025, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that plastic pollution is choking the planet, harming ecosystems, well-being, and the climate.

Building on this message, the Two Oceans Aquarium in Cape Town, South Africa has invited visitors to reflect on the impact that plastics have on wild sea turtles. 

The aquarium serves not only as a popular tourist destination but also as a vital marine animal rescue, conservation, and research center, rehabilitating and releasing hundreds of sea turtles back into the wild each year.

In its turtle conservation awareness area, visitors can observe plastic bags drifting in tanks, which are deliberately displayed to demonstrate how easily sea turtles mistake them for jellyfish, their natural prey.

"If they eat plastic, it'll get caught up in those pointy structures, so they're not able to regurgitate it out. So they have to swallow it in," explained Siyolise Bezu, a turtle aquarist at the Turtle Conservation Center of Two Oceans Aquarium Foundation.

When turtles ingest plastic, the bags often become trapped in their digestive systems, preventing proper nutrition and ultimately leading to starvation and death.

Heather Wares, communications manager of the aquarium, introduced an intriguing piece of artwork on display at the aquarium that is meant to let visitors understand how seriously plastics can impact the health of sea turtles.

"What is so terrifying about this artwork is that it is made up of plastic that came out of one of our turtles called Booky. When she first came in, she was very ill and not eating, and then she pooped out all of this plastic," said Wares.

The United Nations estimates 11 million tonnes of plastic enter aquatic ecosystems annually, with global plastic use projected to hit 516 million tonnes this year. Without intervention, this could surge to 1.2 billion tonnes by 2060. While over 90 countries and regions have restricted single-use plastics, experts advocate for a full circular economy model - reducing, reusing and recycling plastics - which could cut ocean plastic flow by 80 percent before 2040 and save 70 billion U.S. dollars globally.