Southern Bluefin Tuna are among the most magnificent of fish.
Worldwide, they are considered an endangered species, but as a result of the sustainable manner in which Southern Bluefin Tuna is managed in Australia, production is now balanced and Australia’s international commercial quota has recently been increased by over 35% by the world industry body, the Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna.
Furthermore, the Australian tuna industry was awarded the coveted global Friends of the Sea accreditation for its sustainability in late 2015.
Associated most strongly with Port Lincoln (where tuna farming was pioneered in Australia), Southern Bluefin Tuna are now widespread in the seas of South Australia and are commonly caught by recreational fishers in the waters off Victor Harbor.
Oceanic Victor’s secure aquarium is the best place in the world to get up close and personal with magnificent Bluefin Tuna – and the only place in South Australia where you can experience such diversity of marine life in one place!
South Australia enjoys some of the cleanest and most pristine oceans in the world, hosting a greater diversity of marine life than the Great Barrier Reef. Dive into the clear, clean waters of Encounter Bay and you’ll be able experience some of them first hand!
Oceanic Victor is a unique marine facility that encourages real hand on learning fo the kids of South Australia by creating a safe but exciting learning platform where students are engaged with the marine world in a way that has never been showcased previously. The Oceanic Victor In Sea Aquarium is located in the marine park off Granite Island in the historical Encounter Bay. The bay itself was named after the encounter between Nicolas Baudin and Matthew Flinders on the 8th of April 1802.
The marine park hosts a greater diversity than the Great Barrier Reef and our team of passionate and engaging marine biologists and marine scientists are on hand to conduct the tours and support the teachers in their learning outcomes and to answer the myriad of questions that naturally occur when seeing marine species close up for potentially the first time..
We have our stars of the show the amazing Southern Bluefin Tuna, one of the fastest fish in the oceans, as well as a diverse array of smaller marine species that are indigenous to the marine park. Our beautiful Port Jackson sharks are as cuddly as puppies and their nicknames are in fact Puppies of the Seas! We have touch tanks, an underwater viewing tunnel and an inner aquarium. All wetsuits, gloves masks and booties are available for use by our guests.
We have units as per the Australian Curriculum from years Reception though to year 10 for teachers to access, and we have a classroom on the island for pre or post discussion and for teachers to utilise.
Our vision is to provide a platform for teachers and schools to access and to develop Granite Island and the facility as an educational resource and to foster marine research and promote real hands on learning. To inspire children and adults of the beautiful marine park they visit and to understand the importance of these parks across the state as well as the creatures that live there.
Our team are all First Aid accredited and have their Working with Children clearances.
The special group prices for schools are based on groups of approximately 30 students with 2 teachers travelling with the group going FOC – fees start at $70 per guest and capped at group sizes of 60.
“One behalf of the Victor Harbor Special Education Sub School we would like to say a huge thank you to Oceanic Victor staff for providing us with such a unique and meaningful learning experience for our students…. The staff at Oceanic Victor were fabulous when ensuring ALL of our students were included in the excursion by accommodating our students with vision impairments as well as significant sensory difficulties.
The expertise of the marine biologists and marine doctors on board the ship was incredibly informative, and their passion really inspired our students. Being able to access this type of educational excursion is such a fantastic and unheard-of learning experience for all students and community members. Our students continue to talk about the amazing learning experiences they received from the Oceanic Victor staff.”