Home - Penguin Alert

There are 78% fewer African Penguins
than there were 30 years ago. And there's a very real
chance that they will be extinct in our lifetime.

Unless we do
something…

We're hatching a plan

Marine environments are difficult to monitor and are under severe threat from invisible forces, such as overfishing, alien species invasion, pollutants, and climate change. Unchecked, we risk the extinction of several marine animals and even an ecosystem collapse, with direct impacts on human livelihoods through reduced tourism, fishing and harvesting of other marine resources.

Penguins provide hope

Seabirds make good marine indicators and it is not only African Penguins that are threatened. Population declines are also evident in the Cape Gannet (48% in 50 years), Cape Cormorant (>50% in 28 years) and Bank Cormorant (63% in 22.5 years). African penguins are widely recognisable and loved…these little eco-warriors make a living at sea, as specialised hunters targeting only certain prey. After foraging at sea during the breeding season they return to land to incubate their eggs and raise their chicks, making them an ideal monitoring species and excellent indicators of marine ecosystem health. By focusing on penguins as indicators of their ecosystem, we can respond to changing conditions and assist the authorities in the sustainable management of our oceans.

Live penguin cams

Stony Point Beach

Stony Point penguin walkway

Stony Point, Betty’s Bay, is one of the largest African Penguin colonies and one of only two land-based colonies.

Take a look at the tech that makes it all possible

African Penguins can eat more than 200 fish a day in the breeding season and gain over 20% of their bodyweight. When conditions are poor, however, they can spend the whole day searching for a few fish and return to the colony having lost weight and in worse body condition. If this happens repeatedly, they may abandon their breeding effort. Automated Penguin Monitoring Systems will evaluate the effectiveness of current and future no-take zones to commercial purse-seine fishing - a key management intervention to reduce competition for their prey.

Penguins, defenders of the deep

By acting as indicators of general marine ecosystem health, penguins give insight into the health of our seas.

Found mostly in South Africa, and classified as “Endangered” since 2010, African Penguin survival is directly linked to the availability of their main food source. They eat small forage fish, mainly anchovy and sardine, which are targeted by many marine predators living in the Benguela Ecosystem. These fish are also the target of the largest fishery by tonnage, the purse-seine fishery. In other words, lots of mouths compete for the same catch. African Penguins are also sensitive to modern, man-made threats, including marine noise pollution from ship traffic and seismic surveys.

By monitoring penguins in real-time, we can develop smart strategies that reduce competition and minimise threats, especially around their breeding colonies where they spend a considerable amount of their time. Cutting edge technology helps us understand and manage changing ecosystems.

African Penguin population

South African population in 2023

8534
Breeding pairs

27309
Penguins

Contribution to global population

Automated Penguin Monitoring System installed

Major African Penguin colonies

By focussing on penguins as indicators of the marine environment, we can respond to changing conditions and assist the authorities in the sustainable management of our oceans.