East London Aquarium Reopens after Repairs

East London Aquarium reopens after repairs were completed from storm damage caused in August last year. High seas caused terrible damages to the piers and decks at the aquarium which was forced to close until repaired. Bosazza Roofing & Timber Homes were contracted to complete a large part of the repairs which have now been finished. The aquarium is due to celebrate it’s reopening on Saturday 29th September 2018 at their “Fine & Fabulous: Fine and Fishy Aquarium Reopening Event“.

Repairs at the East London Aquarium

We wanted to share more details about the repairs and that we did as well as before and after photos of the work.

Our scope of works for the aquarium repairs included:

Repairing the Whale Viewing Deck

The Whale Viewing Deck was damaged by high seas and big swells. The deck was lifted from underneath by a massive wave! The wave caused the timber decking and railings to lift and break making it unsafe to use. One of the biggest challenges in this repair was how to get our team safely up to the deck which is approximately ten meters high. Jonathan worked closely with the team at PERI Scaffolding to design a safe scaffold tower to allow access while repairs were carried out.

During this process another big storm hit East London – we were concerned that the tower which was built right from the rocks on the sea bed would be swept away by big waves. The tower however, held it’s strength and allowed our team to continue working.

All of the damaged decking planks were replaced and we made custom balustrade posts to match the existing railings at the Aquarium.

Repairing the Seal Viewing Area & Pool – Fence and Pump Room

We built new benches at the Seal Viewing Area. The smaller Seal Pool also had damages to the fencing around the pool. The fence was repaired with matching, rustic droppers and varnished. The pump room next to the pool also had a face-lift with a new clear roof.

Rebuilding of the Education Center Deck

The deck to the Education Center was totally swept away in the storm. It was replaced with a wide pine deck leading up the center.

Rebuilding of the Shark Pool Walkway & Access Ramp

The East London Aquarium had a walkway that reached out over the shark pool so that you can “walk over” the pool and see the sharks from above. The walkway was totally destroyed and swept away in the storm, as was the access ramp from the main deck down to the pool. Bosazza Roofing & Timber Homes rebuilt the walkway and access deck.

While we worked at the Aquarium we had to work to strict environmental guidelines to make as little impact on the sensitive ecosystem of the flora and fauna in the area.

Repairing to the Penguin Enclosure Fencing

Our final job at the East London Aquarium was fixing the fencing around the penguin enclosure. The same rustic style fence as we fitted around the seal pool was used. We also varnished the fencing.

While working at the aquarium it was really good to see that the animals were cared for by a dedicated team. The water in the pools was refreshed daily. Interacting with the penguins was a great highlight for the team (especially CEO Johnny!).

Local East London newspaper the Daily Dispatch also featured the Aquarium in an article this weekend “Repaired Aquarium is Back”.

The East London Aquarium is now open for business – for more information call them on 043 705 2637. You can also visit their facebook page.

For more information about our services contact the Bosazza Roofing & Timber Homes offices on 043 738 5044.