Sixteen Interesting Facts about the Critically Endangered African Penguins.
1. African penguins are confined to the Namibian and South African coast and off shore islands as far east as Algoa Bay in the Eastern Cape. The only 2 mainland colonies are at Boulders Beach in Simon’s Town and at Betty’s Bay.
2. They go by a couple of names - African penguin, South African penguin, Cape penguin and jackass penguin the latter apparently from their loud braying call, which sounds much like a donkey, although several other species produce very similar sounds.
3. They live in colonies on 24 islands and 2 mainland sites between Namibia and South Africa.
4. They are critically endangered. At the beginning of the 19th century there were some 4 million African penguins in existence and by the beginning of the 20th Century this had dropped to about 1.5 million. Today? Just some 10 000 pairs remain along the Namibian and South African coastlines and it’s thought that they may be functionally extinct by 2035. The main reason for this is their lack of access to prey species.
5. They spend much of the day foraging at sea where they feed on fish like sardines, mackerels and anchovies, and small crustaceans like squid and shrimps.
6. They are the only Old World penguins and like all penguins are flightless (although seeing them swimming under water they look much like any bird flying in the air).
7. Cape penguins are monogamous and usually return to the same burrow-like nesting sites year after year.
8. The Stony Point colony at Betty's Bay plays a key role in African penguin conservation, as the species is endangered due to overfishing, habitat destruction, and climate change.
9. Nesting in burrows in guano or sand usually peaks between March and May in South Africa and between November and December in Namibia.
10. African penguins usually lay two eggs, and, if food is plentiful, both may survive to adulthood.
11. Both parents take turns incubating the eggs and feeding the chicks.
12. They have special glands to remove salt from any seawater they swallow and they pant and spread their wings to cool down in the heat.
13. Each penguin has a unique call that is recognised by their mate and chicks.
14. Oil spills are a major threat, damaging their feathers and reducing insulation.
15. Their black-and-white colouring isn’t just cute — it’s camouflage! Their white belly blends with the bright sea surface from below, while their black back makes them hard to spot from above.
16. African penguins dive to catch small fish like sardines and anchovies, and can reach speeds of up to 20 km/h (12 mph) underwater. During hunting dives, they can stay underwater for 2+ minutes and dive to depths of 60 meters (200 feet).
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