Waddle to help save the African penguins

Two Oceans Aquarium and the Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (Sanccob) will hold a Waddle for the Penguins, from Muizenberg to Simon’s Town, on Saturday October 12.

The event will raise awareness for the African penguin, one of the planet’s most cherished yet endangered species, says Sanccob spokesperson Romandi de Jongh.

The 16km route starts at 8.30am at Surfer’s Corner, in Muizenberg, and the 4km one starts at 11.30am at Long Beach in Simon’s Town.

Both routes will meet up at and pass Boulders Beach and will end at Water’s Edge in Simon’s Town, at around 1pm.

Ms De Jongh said the penguins are facing an alarming crisis, with recent statistics showing that there are less than

There are fewer than 8 750 breeding pairs of African penguins left along the South African coastline, and the rate of decline in the population means the species could be functionally extinct in the wild by 2035, according to Ms De Jongh.

“The major causes of this decline include limited food availability, pollution, climate change, oil spills, and predation,” she said.

Sanccob had joined forces with the Two Oceans Aquarium Foundation campaign, Not on Our Watch, to make an even greater impact on Saturday.

“We are calling on the public and organisations to unite, or in this case, waddle together, to protect the African penguin, a beloved part of our natural heritage,” she said.

Sanccob has started a petition calling for the government to establish effective no-take zones around the six key African penguin colonies, limiting commercial purse-seine fishing of anchovy and sardine to ensure there is enough food to sustain the species.

Waddlers should wear black and white and comfortable walking shoes and take their own water. They are also encouraged to make their own placards about the plight of the penguins.

To sign the petition, click here and to register for the waddle, click here.