One of the leading tourist attractions in Nelson Mandela Bay, Bayworld is unique in Southern Africa, embracing a natural and cultural history Museum combined with a Snake Park and Oceanarium. It is located in the heart of the Port Elizabeth beachfront and serves up a feast of edutainment to hundreds of thousands of visitors each year.

The main activities of the Complex are research and education aimed at stimulating a greater awareness of the need for conservation of South Africa’s natural and cultural heritage. Research and education programmes focus on marine life, reptiles, maritime and local history.
The Port Elizabeth Museum, which blends cultural with natural history, is the third oldest in South Africa and is the parent unit of Bayworld. The museum consists of a Dinosaur, Marine, Bird, Maritime History, Costume and Local History Halls, as well as a Curiosity Corner, Xhosa Beadwork Gallery andthe First People of the Bay exhibit. Other diverse temporary exhibits in the fields of natural science, archaeology and geology are also regularly on display in the Museum.

Particularly noteworthy exhibits are the 15m skeleton of the last Southern right whale harpooned in Nelson Mandela Bay; a life-sized reconstruction of the giant local prehistoric dinosaur known as Algoasaurus; a replica of the Dias Cross; and a 5m bronze cannon dated 1640, recovered from a Portuguese galleon wrecked near Port Elizabeth.
Research and education are the core functions of Bayworld. Research generates knowledge, most particularly in relation to the collections that the Museum holds in trust. Since knowledge is cumulative, research must be perpetual.

Objects, specimens or examples are acquired by donation, bequest, purchase, loan, exchange or by excavation collecting in the field. The collecting policy reflects the particular status and strengths of its collections. Completeness and quality of the specimens are of the utmost importance, as is their regional relevance. Collecting centres in the Eastern Cape, expanding where appropriate to the whole of Southern Africa and the ocean waters and islands around it. Specimens from elsewhere are only included if they complement and strengthen the existing collections. The Museum's scientific collections are curated and documented according to the highest possible professional standards to ascertain that they constitute a permanent record of the natural and cultural assets of mankind.

A wide variety of research activities, such as fundamental research, interpretive research and applied research are accommodated. However, the main research activity centres on its major non-living and living collections: marine mammalogy, herpetology, cultural history, otoliths and squid beaks. Consequently, research in these fields is encouraged.

Bayworld promotes the dissemination of knowledge by reporting scientific discoveries in appropriate media, through teaching and by making its collections available to students and researchers from other institutions. Furthermore, a day seldom passes when Bayworld is not thronged with children of all ages and cultures participating in a unique learning experience.

Local

Eat and Drink

• Bridge Street Brewery - Port Elizabeth (1.9 miles) - The Honest Brew. BE TRAIST (be faithful) – Two words not only ingrained on the heart of Master Brew...
• Shamwari Game Reserve - Port Elizbeth (3.6 miles) - Shamwari Game Reserve is one of the most successful private conservation initiatives in Southern Afr...
• Blue Waters Cafe - Port Elizabeth (4.0 miles) - Blue Waters Café is situated on the shores of Port Elizabeth’s pristine coastline. With clear vie...

See and Do

• Bayworld Museum Port Elizabeth (0.0 miles) - One of the leading tourist attractions in Nelson Mandela Bay, Bayworld is unique in Southern Africa,...
• Afroventures Tours & Safaris Port Elizabeth (0.3 miles) - Afroventures Tours and Safaris is an adventure tour operator that conducts Tours, Safaris and Daytri...
• Bridge Street Brewery Port Elizabeth (1.9 miles) - The Honest Brew. BE TRAIST (be faithful) – Two words not only ingrained on the heart of Master Brew...
• Shamwari Game Reserve Port Elizbeth (3.6 miles) - Shamwari Game Reserve is one of the most successful private conservation initiatives in Southern Afr...