The African penguin in Cape Town South Africa | Swimming with penguins in Cape Town South African on the Cape Peninsula in Boulders Beach | Boulders beach penguins sunset
The African penguin in Cape Town

Get up close and personal with the African penguins in Cape Town

Visiting the South African penguins in Boulders Beach is a highly recommended and must do Cape Town attraction when in South Africa. Who would expect to find penguins in Cape Town or in South Africa? I always imagined seeing penguins surrounded by lots of ice and snow. The African penguin is the only species of penguins that are perfectly acclimatised to the warm climate of South Africa and Namibia. And where else in the world can you expect to see the unique sight of penguins in a warm climate on the beach?

penguins in Boulders beach in Cape Town in South Africa
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The African penguin in South Africa

The African penguin is the only species that breeds on the mainland of Africa. They are also named Jackass penguin, due to their donkey-like bray. These penguins are flightless aquatic birds, who stay and breed with the same partner for many years. Most of the penguins are living on penguin islands which are located close to the shores along the coast, from Port Elizabeth to right around to the southern part of Namibia. Just a few colonies also breed on the mainland, one of which is Boulders Beach in Simon’s town.

 
Boulders beach penguins in Cape Town South Africa
Penguins arriving back on the beach after hunting for food

The Boulders beach Penguins

The first penguins came to False Bay in 1983. They were probably attracted by the clear water of the Bay which provided plenty of food for the colony to grow to currently around 3000 birds. The ancient granite boulders on the beach, hence the name Boulders Beach, provides shelter for the African penguin from the strong winds and large waves that occur frequently. Boulders Beach forms part of Table Mountain National Park, which belongs to Sanparks.

Two African penguins swimming in a wave on boulders beach
Penguins playing in the waves
three Jackass penguins calling out on the beach in boulders
Mother penguin with 2 babies crying out loud

The African penguins attract a lot of visitors to Boulders Beach every year. Most visitors come as part of a tour to the Cape Peninsula and Cape Point as one of the many things to do in Cape Town. Various boardwalks are connected with parts of the beach from where these waddling birds can be viewed. In this section you are not allowed to walk on the beach, you have to stay on the boardwalks. This is good since everyone can get a good view of the penguins from the various sections. Also, when walking over the wheelchair friendly boardwalk, you can see penguins hiding in the bushes or even under the wood.

People watching the african penguins on boulders beach from the wooden walkway
At the end of the boardwalk you can see lots of penguins on the beach
Woman walking down the wooden walkway with the ocean on the background in Boulders beach
Boardwalk in Boulders Beach
Lots of penguins in Boulders beach close to Cape Town in South Africa with houses in the background
Penguin on Boulders beach

On some of the beaches bordering Boulders, you can get closer to the penguins since walking and even swimming is allowed there. These penguins are currently so tame you can easily get as close as 1 metre from them.

 
Man taking photo on boulders beach from African penguins sitting on a rock during the sunset in Simon's town
Penguins getting ready for the night on the granite boulders

Best time to see the penguins in Cape Town

When is the best time to go and visit the penguins? I would say all year round. At Boulders, the breeding time for this colony is from March until May. You can see the penguins sitting on their eggs in their nests, or with the fledgelings. We went beginning of May and we saw birds still sitting on their eggs, new borns as well as young birds nearly the size of their parents. You can still recognise them by the greyish coloured feathers they still have.

Mama Penguin feeding 2 chicks penguins in Simon's town
Mother penguin with her 2 babies
baby penguin in Boulders beach in Cape Town losing its feathers
Baby penguin losing its feathers
2 Adult penguins on Boulders beach in Cape Town sitting on eggs
Penguins sitting on their nests

During the mornings there will be fewer tourists since most will arrive at the end of their day tour on the Cape Peninsula. In the evening, there will be more people, but the light is better and more penguins are coming back to the beach after a day of hunting in the sea. Also during the breeding season, the penguins will feed their babies in the afternoon.

All in all, no matter when you go, there will always be some (or lots) of penguins around to observe and they will be very entertaining.

Have you ever seen penguins in the wild? Where was this? Share your story with us.

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The African Penguin in Cape Town, South Africa, Get up close and personal
Swimming with penguins in Cape Town South Africa is possible in Boulders Beach on the Cape Peninsula. It's wonderful to see the African penguins so close to Cape Town in South Africa
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