CONSERVATION
KEEPING THE AFRICAN PENGUIN on our shores
THEY WADDLE. WE RUSH. THEY FISH. WE OVERFISH. SOMEWHERE BETWEEN THE TIDES, SOUTH AFRICA’ S ONLY PENGUIN IS RUNNING OUT OF ROOM AND, MAYBE, TIME.
The African penguin( Spheniscus demersus) once ruled our southern shores in the hundreds of thousands. These days, fewer than 10 000 breeding pairs remain; a number so low it could fit into a small stadium, though there’ d be plenty of empty seats.
In the 1930s, colonies stretched thick from Namibia down to Algoa Bay. Then came the usual suspects: overfishing, habitat loss, oil spills, and climate chaos. In 2024, the IUCN finally changed their status from Endangered, to Critically Endangered.
“ When penguins go hungry, we should all be worried,” says Venessa Strauss, Conservation Director at BirdLife South Africa.
Since the early 1990s, numbers have plummeted by more than 75 %. Sardines and anchovies – their favourite snacks – have shifted eastward, following
The blame game, simplified
• Overfishing steals their lunch.
• Extreme weather floods their nests.
• Ship noises scramble their sonar capabilities.
• And humans, well, keep building houses closer to theirs.
If we don’ t act decisively now, the African penguin could be functionally extinct by 2035.” – Dr Alison Kock, Marine Biologist, SA National Parks cooler waters and leaving the birds to starve or swim further each year.
Early 2025 brought rare good news: a court-ordered, 12-nautical-mile no-fishing zone around six major colonies including Robben Island. It’ s the conservation version of a breathing space – finally giving penguins a fighting chance to find fish without having to compete with trawlers.
On land, SANCCOB keeps doing the gritty work: rescuing abandoned eggs, raising chicks under heat lamps, and releasing plump, slightly confused birds back into the sea. In just the first months of this year, 78 eggs and 25 chicks were saved.
But, says Dr Alison Kock, marine biologist at South African National Parks,“ It’ s a start, not salvation. Laws help, but enforcement is what keeps chicks alive.”
Boulders Beach might look like a postcard, but it’ s also a pulse-check on our oceans. When the penguins go, it’ s not just the charm that disappears; it’ s the health of the entire coast.
How you can help
• Buy fish from sustainable sources.
• Support local groups like SANCCOB and BirdLife South Africa.
• Keep your distance when visiting colonies; they’ re not fans of selfies.
• Push for better fishing limits and marine protection zones.
106 | SUMMER 2025 / 26 • rovesa. co. za