Good news for Cape Town's penguins: Boulders colony records encouraging population increase

Visitors planning a trip to Boulders Penguin Colony near Simon's Town have another reason to add this iconic Cape Town attraction to their itinerary. South African National Parks (SANParks) has announced encouraging results from the 2026 annual African penguin census, with the colony recording its highest breeding pair count in recent years.

The latest survey counted 790 breeding pairs, an increase of 92 pairs compared to the 698 breeding pairs recorded in 2025. While conservationists caution that the African penguin remains critically endangered, the figures offer a welcome sign that one of South Africa's best-known penguin colonies continues to show resilience.

Why the increase matters

Based on the latest census, Boulders is now home to an estimated 2,528 individual African penguins, representing around 8–9% of South Africa's entire African penguin population.

With fewer than 10,000 breeding pairs remaining worldwide, every successful breeding season is significant. The increase at Boulders is particularly encouraging because many other African penguin colonies continue to decline.

Scientists stress that a single year's increase should not be interpreted as a full recovery. However, it does indicate that ongoing conservation measures are helping to stabilise one of the species' most important breeding sites.

A must-visit wildlife experience in Cape Town

Located within Table Mountain National Park, Boulders Penguin Colony is one of the few places in the world where visitors can observe endangered African penguins from specially designed boardwalks while minimising disturbance to the birds.

The sheltered beaches, enormous granite boulders and clear False Bay waters make the area one of Cape Town's most popular wildlife attractions, attracting visitors from around the globe throughout the year.

Although penguins can be seen year-round, each season offers something different. Depending on when you visit, you may observe nesting adults, fluffy chicks or groups of penguins returning from the ocean after feeding.

Ongoing conservation remains essential

The annual census was conducted by a collaborative team including SANParks, the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE), the City of Cape Town, Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB), Cumic Rangers, volunteers and other conservation partners.

Researchers continue to monitor the colony using internationally recognised census methods to track long-term population trends.

African penguins still face numerous threats, including:

• Declining sardine and anchovy populations
• Environmental and climate variability
• Habitat changes
• Predation
• Disease
• Human-related pressures

To help safeguard the species, conservation efforts at Boulders include habitat management, rehabilitation of injured and sick birds, disease monitoring, scientific research and environmental education programmes.  

 

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Western Cape: Stony Point Nature Reserve temporarily closed due to inclement weather!

CapeNature, the public institution with the responsibility for biodiversity conservation in South Africa's Western Cape, has announced that the Stony Point Nature Reserve in the coastal town of Betty's Bay in the Overberg is temporarly closed to the public due to inclement weather. According to CapeNature, the penguin viewing boardwalk is slippery and not safe to walk. The anticipated re-opening is the 15 July 2024.
The Stony Point Nature Reserve is the third-largest breeding colony of African Penguins in the world and the only other (apart from Boulder’s Beach in the Table Mountain National Park) mainland breeding colony of African Penguin in South Africa. A thoughtfully constructed boardwalk allows visitors to meander through the reserve and closely observe the penguins in their natural habitat.

Cape Town: Boulders Penguin Colony undergoes an upgrade!

South African National Parks (SANParks) announced on 30 January 2017 that the Boulders Penguin Colony in Simon's Town, which forms part of the Table Mountain National Park, will undergo an upgrade. The refurbishment will start on 13 February 2017 and is expected to take about 8 month. The upgrade will see various visitor facilities refurbished and re-constructed. To accommodate visitors wishing to enter the Boulders Penguin Colony, the project will be completed in three phases.

Ok now my trip is complete 💙🐧💙🐧 #penguinstyle #penguins #boulderbeach #simonstown #penguinbeach #southafrica #roadtrip

Ein von Heather Renee (@_just_heather_renee) gepostetes Foto am 30. Jan 2017 um 12:26 Uhr

Access to visitors will be uninterrupted during the refurbishment and the operational hours of Table Mountain National Park will remain unchanged. It is however important to note the Boulders Info Centre will be closed during the construction period. Boulders telephone numbers will remain the same and should remain operational over the period.

Simon's Town: Burghers’ Walk re-opened

The City of Cape Town, in collaboration with South African National Parks (SANParks), re-opened the Burghers’ Walk in Simon’s Town on Friday 9 December 2011. The walk was temporarily closed to allow for crucial rehabilitation since 01 July 2011.
Burghers’ Walk is a section of the Simon’s Town coastline that is home to one of only two land-based African Penguin colonies in South Africa and provides nesting grounds for a significant portion of this colony of endangered birds.

The rehabilitation at Burghers’ Walk has included:

• the implementation of measures to control soil erosion
• the removal of alien vegetation, rubble and litter
• the planting of indigenous vegetation
• the installation of a wooden boardwalk

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Entrance to Burghers’ Walk is free and the area can be accessed via the wooden gate in Bellevue Road or via other access ways on Links Avenue. The City requests that any member of the public entering Burghers’ Walk familiarise themselves with the rules and regulations of the area, as stipulated on the signboards.
The City appeals to any member of the public wishing to continue on the path beyond the wooden boardwalk to do so responsibly by:

• keeping the gate closed at all times
• always remaining on the path
• being cautious of penguins, not interacting with them
• keeping dogs on a lead at all times

Penguin Monitors will be available on site during the week and they will assist with any further information required.

TED Talk - Dyan deNapoli: The great penguin rescue

Dyan deNapoli, known as "the Penguin Lady" and head of her own educational company, tells the story of the world's largest volunteer animal rescue. She describes how in June of 2000, the oil tanker Treasure sank off the coast of South Africa, so that some 1,400 tonnes of heavy fuel oil leaked from the bulk carrier into the sea off Cape Town. All this happened during the best breeding season on record thus far for the then-threatened (and now endangered) African Penguin. A total of more than 40,000 oiled penguins were saved during the rescue.



Dyan deNapoli's current book "The Great Penguin Rescue: 40,000 Penguins, a Devastating Oil Spill, and the Inspiring Story of the World's Largest Animal Rescue" is available from the TravelComments.com eShop!

Dassen Island, the penguins and a young woman who spend two years alone with them...

Dassen Island is an uninhabited island in the Atlantic Ocean. It is situated about 10km west of Yzerfontein and 55km north of Cape Town, about halfway between Table Bay and Saldanha Bay. With an area of 273ha, it is the second largest of the South African offshore islands. It is generally flat and sandy, apart from patches of exposed bedrock, and some areas strewn with huge granite boulders. At the turn of the century there were some 1,500,000 African penguins living on the island, while today only 26,000 breeding pairs remain. Dassen Island, managed by Cape Nature, is home to most of these remaining birds. It is a proclaimed Nature Reserve and not open to the public.


Animal Week - Penguins from Humanwire on Vimeo.

The video shows the work & life of Tribute "Birdie" Mboweni, a passionate young woman who lived alone on Dassen Island Nature Reserve for about 2 years. Tribute is back from the island and now a full-time student at Tshwane University of Technology. Kudos for your passionate work, Tribute!