Betty's Bay African Penguins

#African Penguins at Betty’s Bay Stoney Point at Betty’s Bay offers visitors the rare opportunity to see the African Penguin up close. Penguins normally colonize islands and do not settle on the beaches of the mainland. Stoney Point at Betty’s Bay is one of only three places in South Africa where penguins have settled on the mainland. In 1982 the residents of the town noticed a nest on the beach and the municipality fenced the area and erected a viewing platform from where the birds could be observed without disturbing them. Today this single couple has grown to a sizable colony. Every single penguin is precious for the protection of this vulnerable specie. It is calculated that the numbers of African Penguins has diminished by 90% in the past 60 years.

They live 20-25 years and reach sexual maturity by 2-4 years. They normally mate for life and when breeding, they take turns to sit on the nest and to forage for food. They feed on sardines, pilchards and squid. Penguins swim at a cruising speed of 6-7 kph, but can reach up to 20 kph. They can dive to a depth of about 100m but normally feed at depths of about 35m.