No visit to this part of the world is complete without visiting the Boulders Beach penguin colony, one of only two mainland breeding colonies.

African (Jackass) Penguins (Sphensicus demersus) are so called for the donkey-like braying sounds they make when on land. There are only 16 penguin species worldwide and Simon’s Town is one of the total of 28 world sites where they occur. The colony, started by the penguins themselves at Boulders Beach, is unique in that they have voluntarily inhabited suburbia and a public bathing space. There is another colony in the Hangklip and Betty’s Bay area, on the far side of False Bay. Jackass Penguins are birds that are almost totally adapted to life at sea and can spend long periods without landing. At sea they “fly” through the water with specially modified wings, and can attain speeds of 2.5km/hr to over 7 km/hr. Unlike whales and seals, penguins do not have blubber to insulate them against the cold, but they have a layer of air trapped beneath their feathers which gets severely damaged when coming into contact with an oil spill.