03 May 2010, Posted by Greg in Awesome Spots, Featured, Places & Countries, 0 Comments

I Want to be a Penguin in Cape Town

Ever since a bunch of African Penguins waddled out of the sea in 1983, this colony became a curiosity to tourists and locals alike. Perhaps they were bribed with fish by the Simon’s Town tourism board, in order to draw more visitors from nearby Cape Town– only 20 minutes away by car along a coastal route. But that is not to say that Boulders Beach, the name of their specific area, would have difficulty attracting people otherwise.

These are clearly penguins of good taste; perhaps they chose this spot so they could appreciate the jaw-dropping beauty provided by views of the surrounding bay, but most likely it was the seafood (especially the pilchards, anchovies and mackerel).

Unfortunately humans are competing for their food supply, making the African Penguin an endangered species even though this particular colony is thriving in part thanks to the conservation efforts of Table Mountain National Park.

If you are among the lucky ones to be attending the 2010 World Cup matches in the area, you could do worse than to stop here. I took a few photos when I visited the site last month– click on the link below for a gallery of a bunch of flightless birds that discovered the Western Cape long before FIFA deemed it fashionable.