African penguin
Spheniscus demersus
- On view
- Ocean in Motion
- Animal type
- Birds
- Ecosystem
- Rocky shore
- Relatives
- Humboldt penguin, Magellanic penguin, Galápagos penguin and other penguins; Order Sphenisciformes
- Diet
- Cape anchovy, other small fishes
- Range
- Coastal waters of South Africa and Namibia
- Size
- Up to 27 in. (68 cm); average weight 6.8 lbs (3.1 kg)
Meet the African penguin
Not every penguin lives in snow and ice—African penguins live in cold currents along the coast of South Africa in a climate similar to that of Monterey. They’re agile and graceful under water. Using wings as flippers and feet as rudders, they "fly" through the water fast enough to chase down schools of Cape anchovy and other small fishes.
Watch in real time
Penguin Cam
Check out this live cam – Penguin CamEndangered Species Act (ESA)
The ESA is a U.S. law that protects plants and animals at risk of extinction by classifying them as either Threatened or Endangered.
Threatened
Endangered(active)
International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
The IUCN Red List is a global system that evaluates the conservation status of species and classifies them based on their risk of extinction.
Least concern
Near threatened
Vulnerable
Endangered
Critical(active)
Extinct in wild
Extinct
Natural history
African penguins have a double layer of densely packed feathers to keep warm in cold water. On land, they face the opposite problem and can overheat in hot sun. To keep cool, they pant and pump blood to parts of their bodies with less insulation—wings, faces, and feet—where excess heat can escape.
Conservation
The wild African penguin population has declined over 97 percent in the last 100 years. Breeding pairs numbered nearly one million as recently as the early twentieth century. But in 2024, it was estimated that only around 9,900 breeding pairs remained in the wild. African penguins are now listed as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) due to this steep population decline. If additional conservation actions aren't taken, the penguin population is likely to continue to decline at this alarming rate.
We can help African penguins in the wild by protecting the ocean habitats these animals depend upon—and by choosing ocean-friendly seafood. All penguins are protected from hunting and egg collecting. But many, including the African penguin, also face threats from oil pollution, habitat loss, and introduced predators. Overfishing seems to be the biggest culprit.
You can help African penguins by supporting penguin conservation groups like the Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB, a partner of the Monterey Bay Aquarium) and by using Seafood Watch to make sustainable seafood choices at restaurants and grocery stores.
Cool facts
- Penguins make good parents. They sometimes keep the same mate for life and both parents take turns incubating the eggs and feeding and protecting chicks.
- African penguins undergo a catastrophic molt once a year where all their old feathers are lost at once and new ones grow in.
- Loud vocalizations resemble a donkey’s braying sound.
Live cam
Penguin Cam
African penguins live in cold currents along the coast of South Africa in a climate similar to Monterey.
Watch cam – Penguin CamUp next in rocky shore
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