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Swimming with Penguins at Boulders Beach near Cape Town

Swimming with Penguins at Boulders Beach


South Africa, Western Cape Province, penguins on beach
Frans Lemmens/Photographer's Choice/Getty Images

Isn't the water freezing?


What kind of penguins are they?

The penguins at Boulders Beach used to be called Jackass Penguins because of their distinctive mating call that sounds like a braying donkey. Because several South American penguins apparently make the same noise, their name was changed to African Penguins. I thought it was because "jackass" just sounds rude. The penguins have also been called Black-footed penguins. Their latin name Spheniscus demersus has remained constant.

African penguins are small black and white penguins and the adults will come up to about your knee in height. Their coloring works to camouflage them from predators. Their black backs makes it difficult to spot the penguin from above while they're swimming, and their white bellies makes it difficult to see them from below if predators are looking up toward the surface of the ocean. The penguins swim incredibly fast (reaching speeds of 15mph or 24kmph) and it looks like they're flying under water. But once you see them waddle on land, it's hard not to suppress a giggle. If you're visiting the penguins in November/december, excuse their raggedy appearance, but that's peak moulting time. More scientific facts about African Penguins

Can you touch the Penguins?

It's forbidden to touch the penguins, or feed them, but it's easy to get just a few feet away from them. These are wild penguins and they can get quite grumpy especially when protecting their eggs. The official brochure warns you "Penguins have very sharp beaks and can cause serious injury if they bite or lunge". When I visited Boulders Beach in May, there were penguins sitting on their eggs everywhere you looked, it was fascinating to get that close. I felt pretty safe from any sudden lunging.

Does it Smell?

Some people complain about the odor when they visit the penguins at Boulders Beach, but I didn't find it bad at all. The odor isn't surprising since there are approximately 3000 of these birds in a relatively small area, going about (and doing) their business.

How Much Does it Cost and When is it Open?

The admission fee to go and see the penguin colony and access the swimming beach, is just R25 per adult and R5 for children. It is open year round from 9am to 5pm.

How do I get to Boulders Beach?


Almost every tour going along the Cape Peninsula route will make a stop at Boulders beach. You can book day tours though your hotel, or the very efficient Tourist Information office on the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront.



You can bring a sandwich down to the public beach, eat right above the penguin colony at the fancy Boulders Beach Lodge, or hop over to nearby Simon's Town and enjoy a nice cold glass of white wine overlooking the Ocean. This whole area is absolutely beautiful and there are some great art galleries nearby to snoop around in, which personally I much preferred to some of the more touristy shops in Cape Town. Muizenberg and Kalk Bay just north of Simon's Town, are also worth stopping at and checking out.

If you love Penguins, check out all these Fun Penguin Facts from About.com's Birding Guide.

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