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The penguins at Boulder Beach in South Africa

One thing that has been on my bucket list for a while is seeing the penguins in South Africa. We had a short time in Cape Town, but the penguins are a mere few hour’s drive away in Boulder Beach just outside of Simon’s Town.

How to get there

Parking was adequately available, which of course meant mobs of tourists! We braved the crowds, paid the 70R fee (about $5.50 at the time), and took a long boardwalk out to the beach. Along the way, we saw several penguins hanging out next to the boardwalk within arm’s reach. They seem like the most relaxed creatures anywhere! They were not bothered at all by people. Many of the young ones were still being fed by their parents, although they were nearly the same size. Remember – don’t feed or touch the penguins yourself!

The boardwalk is a great way to keep the tourists from encroaching on the penguins’ lounging space on the beach, while still getting very close with a beautiful view of the water. We were lucky to see hundreds of these crazy swimming birds while we were there. Many were jumping off of the large rocks into the water and swimming in the waves before waddling ashore.

What you will see

There is a small forest area around the boardwalk on the way to the beach where you can also see penguins up close. Here, they are usually feeding their young, and the park association has created penguin holes or homes out of old gas canisters. Sometimes the penguins walk across the boardwalk, but please remember again to stay away and do not touch them. Apparently, they have quite the bite (hard to imagine for an animal so cute)!

Boulder Beach can be a quick stop if you are road tripping around the southwest coast. I would say it is well worth it to see the reportedly 2,000 penguins here. If you keep an eye out you will also see them lounging on rocks anywhere along the shoreline outside of Boulder Beach. For some reason (food supplies, beaches?), the penguins really love this specific location.

The next item on my bucket list that involves seeing these amazing birds in a colder region. Maybe I will see them in Antarctica or somewhere in the Arctic Circle! Do you have a specific animal that you want to see in its natural element? Tell me about it in the comments below!