One of the most beautiful beaches on earth just happens to also host a penguin sanctuary.
When you think of the creatures of Africa, penguins likely are not the first thing to come to mind. However, it was a friend's social post of these penguins that really inspired me to hone in on South Africa as they've always been a favorite of mine.
As you approach Simon Town, one of the hints that we did receive was to enter via the second entrance rather than the first. This presents two benefits: one in that you avoid the larger portion of the crowds, and secondly, you can access the beach with the penguins.
The first thing you notice upon entering the beach is how striking the beach itself is. Clear blue water and massive boulders of granite, some stacked upon one another.
After some manuevering through some boulders, I spotted my first two penguins a mere few feet away from me. I was astonished by their demeanor, seemingly unfazed by our presence.
As I continued on down the beach, more and more penguins began to show themselves, some in packs of 10-20. As we explored more of the beach, we found them sunbathing, going for a walk, and even swimming in the water.
After 30-60 minutes of observing them, we exited and took the boardwalk towards the other end of the sanctuary. This was just as incredible as it was unexpected to see them lounging in the dirt, in trees, and even with some dassies (rock hyrax). All of my life, I had just pictured penguins in the frigid Antarctic, and here they were resting among trees on an eighty degree day.
Once we arrived at the opposite end, we found large viewing platforms to take in the extent of the colony. With the wind blowing aggressively, it was challenging to take stock of everything going on. There were hundreds, if not thousands, of penguins on the beach sunbathing. Every so often, a group would get up and stroll into the water for a swim. It was incredibly entertaining to watch as they navigated large, violent waves with seemingly little effort.
Phenomenal experience to get to encounter these creatures up close in their habitat. Here's to hoping that their populations can continue to thrive and be enjoyed for generations to come.
Know Before You Go
If you aim to access the beach, use the second entrance. To get to the really beautiful parts with granite boulders, you may have to do some crawling or jumping. Accessing the beach is not for everyone.
There is a bit of walking from one side to the other and a small amount of elevation gain from the viewing platform to the parking lot.
There is an admission fee to access the beach and then tipping is expected in the parking lot.
As you are approaching Boulders Beach in your vehicle, use caution as penguins are sometimes wandering onto the road.
Please do not touch or disturb the penguins. All it takes is one bad tourist and access to them will be revoked to all.
Resources
Location
Found in Simon's Town, it is roughly 1 hour south of Cape Town. On the Cape Peninsula, there are loads of things to see, so it is advised to make a day trip out of it.
Video
The video below shows our time with the penguins, with the ending being particularly enjoyable with the penguins swimming in the water.
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