Sunbathing with the Penguins at Boulder Beach

Sunbathing with the Penguins at Boulder Beach

Try to picture the cutest thing you possibly can….It’s probably still not as cute as a penguin relaxing on the beach. A tiny penguin sitting right beside you with it’s little eyes closed and head happily tilted towards the sun as it sleeps.

Now imagine they are everywhere! In the water, on the rocks, waddling through the sand….

It’s about as wonderful as anything could ever be.

Welcome to Boulder Beach in South Africa!

The warm, sunny home of the African Penguins.

Penguins galore!

At Boulder Beach, you can swim in the water with the penguins, lay on the beach beside them, crawl around on the rocks looking for their hideouts or walk along the boardwalks to observe the large colonies!

Bring a picnic, sunscreen and a camera because these little guys are NOT shy! Nor are they afraid of humans. They will sit remarkably close to you and absolutely “work it” in front of the camera, ha! Get ready to take some epic photos!!

But be careful not to touch or grab them- they’ve been known to bite people when they feel threatened!

Looking for more information or a guide while you’re there? Be sure to check out the Boulders Visitors Center!

As you can see, there are thousands of penguins at Boulder Beach!
Penguins at Boulder Beach — Can you spot the massive penguin colony on the rock behind us?

Conservation Efforts

Unfortunately, due to commercial fishing, marine pollution and habitat deconstruction these cute little guys were almost driven to extinction in the 80’s. It was estimated that there were approximately one-and-a-half million African Penguins back in 1910 but only one century later, these little penguins wound up on the endangered species list. And by 1982 there were sadly just two breeding pairs left anywhere in the world….Great news though!

Due to the dedicated conservation efforts, the Boulder colony is now over 3,000 happy aquatic birds! How incredible is that?!

Penguin Season- when is the best time to go?

If possible, go during the summer! That’s when you can witness the most penguin activity. There will be more birds bustling about so it’s easier to have interactions with them or snap great photos! But no matter what time of year you go, there will be plenty of penguins.

The birds go feed at sea during September and October so there will be less birds onshore then. (Again, still plenty!) And if you go in January, you can see the young birds molting on the beach!

Pro tip: The penguins are out and about the most during early morning and late afternoon.

If you go…

The beach is located in the Cape Peninsula, near Simon’s Town towards Cape Point South Africa- just a two hour drive away from Cape Town.

Definitely worth the trip because this is a beach day like no other!

When you arrive, there is plenty of parking before walking down to the beach. There is a small conservation fee charged to enter the penguin habitat. Adults pay R76 per day and children pay R41 per day.

I suggest bringing a picnic- otherwise there is are excellent restaurants near the beach!