Table Mountain, Cape Town

Penguins, Boulder's Beach, False Bay - Southern Cape

The colony was established in 1982 by African penguins - Boulder's Beach is near Simon's Town and on the southern Cape towards Cape Point.  It is said to currently hold a population of around 3000 penguins.  With shiny black backs and white bellies, each individual stand about 60 centimetres in height and can weigh between 2.4 and 3.6 kilograms.

Three is a human swimming beach nearby but this is separated from the penguin colony.  We walked on the well thought of and maintained walk boards from Foxy Beach.  I reckon this is an outstanding place to watch and come near penguins in the wild.  It was a beaut afternoon with emerald blue calm seas and the light breeze in early September was perfect for being outdoors.

We strolled past panoramic views of sloping hills on the inland side and inviting vistas of the ocean.  The reward is tat he beach at the end of the walk board trail.

These penguins co-exist with human beings, whose residences can be seen in proximity and there are several shops and cafes along the tourist trail.  The penguins are not bothered by human beings - hey maybe they are also watching us! There are a couple of lodges for those interested to stay near the beach.

Other African penguin gathering areas are in Namibia (Sylvia's Hill) and at Betty's Bay in the Overberg in South Africa.