African Penguin Colony - Betty's Bay, South Africa

On the rocky shore of Stony Point Nature Reserve in Betty's Bay, on South Africa's southwestern coast, African penguins waddle between the boulders, rest in the sun and head down to the sea to fish.

Most African penguins breed on islands, but this is one of only two mainland colonies in South Africa. The first nest was found here in 1982, and after a leopard attacked the colony in 1986 a fence went up around the breeding area. It has since grown to about 1,500 breeding pairs.

That matters, because the species is in serious trouble. In October 2024 it became the first of the world's 18 penguin species to be listed as Critically Endangered, with fewer than 10,000 breeding pairs left, largely because sardines and anchovies have become scarce.

Did You Know? About 1.5 million African penguins lived in 1910. Fewer than a tenth of that number survive today.

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