African penguins live only on coastlines in southern Africa and on surrounding small islands. The two major areas where penguins live (called colonies) are Stony Point and Boulder's Beach. These two spots attract lots of tourists because they guarantee the chances of a human visitor getting up close to these black and white beauties! Most of the penguins will allow humans to approach them, getting as close as just a few feet.
While humans see them on land, African penguins spend most of their lives at sea. Young penguins return to land to moult, meaning they lose their baby feathers and their waterproof adult feathers grow in! African penguins swim in the sea to find their next meal, which usually consists of small, fish-like anchovies, sardines, and shrimp. These penguins can live up to 25 years in the wild.
The African penguin has some natural predators, including sharks and seals. Gulls can also prey on unhatched penguin eggs. The African penguin is an endangered species, meaning it is at risk of extinction if not cared for properly. The greatest threat to the population of African penguins is pollution by oil spills. Oil is toxic to penguins and to many other marine creatures, besides.
