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SA’s African penguins, as with all animals on earth, are always best seen in their natural habitat – free as birds.
A total of eighteen penguin species have been recorded globally and were found to occur only in the Southern hemisphere, with the most notable in Southern Africa, being the African Penguin.
As the world celebrates World Penguin Day, the Department of Environmental Affairs has affirmed its efforts to improve the status of the African Penguin and to safeguard the long-term survival of this species in the wild.
"The African Penguin (Spheniscus demersus) is Africa’s only extant penguin and is also endemic as a breeding species to both South Africa and Namibia. This seabird was once South Africa’s most abundant seabird with pairs of over 1 million in the 1910s to present population recorded to less than 25 000 pairs globally.
"This led to the status of the African Penguin being re-assessed according to the International Union for Conservation for Nature (IUCN) criteria in 2010 where it was uplisted from Vulnerable to Endangered.," says the DEA.
Endangered: 60% decline in the last 30 years and by over 50% in the three most recent generations
Again in 2016, the status for this species was maintained as Endangered. In total, the species has declined by over 60% in the last 30 years and by over 50% in the three most recent generations with continuing declines.
Since 2013, when the DEA gazetted the African Penguin Biodiversity Management Plan, various threats on the African Penguin have been looked at - from the legislative framework, anthropogenic impacts, fish and fishing, natural threats, catastrophic events, insufficient research as well as insufficient education and awareness.
Like other seabirds, African Penguins have a valuable role to play in the ecosystem.
"They are sensitive to ecosystem changes and vulnerable to threats at and around their breeding colonies they also have the ability to provide an index of the health of marine ecosystems and can be used as indicators of marine resources including distribution of such resources necessary for human consumption."
In South Africa we are privileged enough to have an abundance of places to see these cute little waddling penguins hopping about on our beaches, undisturbed by human activity close by. People come from all over the world to see the penguins frolicking on Boulders Beach near Simonstown, and Stoney Point in Betty’s Bay – which in our opinion are the best spots to view them. See the list of 12 below.
1. Boulders Beach - Simonstown
2. Stoney Point - Betty's Bay
Also READ: Betty's Bay - a little slice of paradise between mountains and sea
The penguins, however, are not only present on the beaches. There are also a few island spots where visitors can see them.
Most of these islands have organized boat trips heading out with penguin lovers daily.
3. St Croix Island – off Port Elizabeth’s shore
4. Dassen Island – off Yzerfontein’s shore
5. Robben Island – off Table Bay’s shore
Also READ: Google Maps and Robben Island Museum combine history with technology
6. Dyer Island – off Gansbaai’s shore
READ: Gansbaai leads the pack in responsible tourism in Africa
Rehab centers
Here you might not be able to interact with the penguins as they are being rehabilitated, but if you’re lucky you can watch them being released into the ocean again – fully and naturally free again!
7. Cape St. Francis Rehabilitation Center
8. South African Marine Rehabilitation and Education Centre (Samrec) in the Cape Recife Nature Reserve
Aquariums
Birds that cannot be rehabilitated back into the wild usually find homes in the wonderful aquariums around the country.
9. Two Oceans Aqarium - Cape Town
10. uShaka Aquarium - Durban
11. Bayworld - Port Elizabeth
12. Bird Island – off Lambert’s Bay’s shore
(Although the Island is not an aquarium, the penguins here also cannot be rehabilitated back into the wild… but they are definitely still cute as ever!)
Also READ: Lamberts Bay's Bird Island relaunch used to leapfrog international debut of the ‘Weskus’
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What to read next on Traveller24:
- #ShockWildlifeTruths: More than half of the world's penguin species threatened with extinction
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- WATCH: Penguin lovers quarrel ends in bloodbath, Twitter reacts
*This article was updated on 25 march 2017
