When I first heard that South Africa was home to penguins, seeing them was immediately added to my South Africa bucket list. What an amazing opportunity to see penguins in the wild, and bypass the whole freezing temperatures thing.
So when we arrived in Cape Town last week, a trip down to Boulders Beach in Simon’s Town was the first attraction on my list. Boulder’s Beach is home to a large, protected colony of African Penguins. Although these are a different species than the emperor penguins I’ve grown up watching at Sea World Orlando, they are equally as adorable. They also happen to be on the endangered species list. In 2008, researchers estimated that there are only 26 000 pairs left.
One of my favorite things about the African Penguin is their beautiful patch of pink eyeshadow. I learned the spot is actually a gland that helps the penguins cope with changing climates.
A few of them were even incubating their eggs! Did you know the mother and father take turns caring for the egg? They are also monogamous and mate for life. So sweet.
We could have sat for hours just watching their penguin activities! When you see their cute little waddle and the way they fly through the water and surf the waves, you can’t help but love them.
If you go, there is an entrance fee to the reserve, which is R55 for adults and R25 for kids. Make some time to walk around Simon’s Town or have lunch while you’re there! It’s really a cute like port town.
