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Penguins of Simon’s Town – Say Hello to Boulders Beach Penguin Colony

Home » Africa » South Africa

Updated: September 22, 2020 by The Planet D

Penguins of Simon’s Town – Say Hello to Boulders Beach Penguin Colony

Just south of Cape Town in South Africa, you will find a colony of Penguins hanging out on Boulders Beach in the picturesque village of Simon’s Town.

Simon’s Town Penguins

If you are anything like us, we are suckers for Penguins. They are simply the cutest little things and we can watch them for hours waddle and swim.

The Simon’s Town Penguins are known as the African Penguin or the Jackass Penguin on account of the braying sound that they make. 

Numbers are slowly coming back in South Africa thanks to conservation efforts.

simons town penguins colony

It is hard to believe, but for decades these little guys were hunted for their meat and were considered a delicacy. 

Add man-made disasters like oil spills and a decline in their food supply they have fallen from several million to less than 200,000.

Boulders Beach

simons town penguins babies

A great day trip from Cape Town is to take a drive to Simon’s Town and venture down to Boulders Beach where you can walk the boardwalk.

This is the perfect spot to view the colony in their natural habitat. The penguins settled here in 1985 and have been continuously growing ever since.

Nobody knows why the penguins decided to colonize this portion of the beach.

The large human population should have been a deterrent, however, the abundance of fish in the waters due to a ban on commercial fishing probably played a role.

Beautiful Boulders Beach

What a view of boulders beach south africa

My opinion is that they saw a beautiful beach with great rocks and boulders for sunbathing and relaxing. 

Hey, penguins like a great view too!

Winter in South Africa

It was South Africa’s winter while we were there, but in the warmer months, you can actually swim with the penguins as they play and frolic on the public beaches around town.

simons town penguins face

Give yourself more than a day to visit Simon’s Town. 

It is a beautiful seaside village filled with restaurants, cafés, and beautiful scenery.

You can go sea kayaking or take boat trips along the coast.

Cape Point is a short jaunt from the town and if you happen to find yourself there between June and November, you can view the majestic southern right whale.

Simon’s Town Tours

Book a Cape Town to Cape Point Explorer Tour that stops at Simon’s Town to see the penguins and then continues on to the Cape of Good Hope and Cape Point.

Read More:

  • 20 Amazing Things to do in Cape Town, South Africa
  • 28 Reasons Why South Africa Should Be on Your Bucket List
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About The Planet D

Dave Bouskill and Debra Corbeil are the owners and founders of The Planet D. After traveling to 115 countries, on all 7 continents over the past 13 years they have become one of the foremost experts in travel. Being recognized as top travel bloggers and influencers by the likes of Forbes Magazine, the Society of American Travel Writers and USA Today has allowed them to become leaders in their field.

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Categories: South Africa

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Comments

  1. Cape Town Accommodation says

    January 7, 2010 at 3:48 am

    Sweet Penguins

    Reply
  2. Cape Town Accommodation says

    January 7, 2010 at 3:46 am

    I remember the penguins from when I was young and at school. These pictures bring back fond memories.

    Reply
  3. outdoor adventure says

    October 6, 2009 at 6:46 am

    I am currently planning on going on an adventure holiday in south africa. A few adventure activities on the list include, shark cage diving and abseiling. However I’m definitely gonna check out the penguins in Simonstown. I love animals and like you said, penguins are so cute! Great post!

    Reply
  4. Kim says

    October 1, 2009 at 9:31 am

    My endering memory of boulders beach is walking out of the sea at around 11am in full scuba gear. There were penguins everywhere and one of the tourists asked us if it was our job each morning to go out and shoo all the penguins onto the beach. To which my friend gave the only answer possible – “YES!”
    .-= Kim´s last blog ..North Korea, Vietnam and China – The Communist Tour =-.

    Reply
    • davendeb says

      October 1, 2009 at 10:11 am

      Hi Kim, That is hilarious! The things that tourists ask sometimes just blows me away. Great answer.

      Reply
  5. Geogypsy says

    September 10, 2009 at 10:31 pm

    Thanks for the tip, I’ve added it to my must see list in SA during March.

    Reply
  6. Nomadic Matt says

    September 10, 2009 at 8:56 am

    I would love to swim with penguins- sounds like fun. I’ll have to go to S.A. during the summer then!

    Reply
  7. Gourmantic says

    September 10, 2009 at 4:50 am

    I adore penguins! These are great photographs. Did you take them? I love the close up of the 3 on the beach. Looks like they’re cruisin’…

    Reply
    • davendeb says

      September 12, 2009 at 5:31 pm

      Yep. Dave takes all of our photo’s. I love them too! If we happen to use anyone else’s photos on the site, we give them a “courtesy of” title. Thanks for the reply!

      Reply
  8. Amy @ The Q Family says

    September 9, 2009 at 1:33 pm

    I always associate penguins with cold weather. Still couldn’t believe to see penguins by the beach. 🙂 They do have a great taste in choosing their view.

    Reply

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Hi we’re Dave and Deb, a Canadian adventure couple who left our careers in the film industry 10 years ago to travel the world. We’ve been to 115 countries on all seven continents and were named one of the top travel influencers on earth by Forbes.

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