Tomorrow, Saturday 13 October, is International African Penguin Day! To celebrate, the Two Oceans Aquarium will join a number of institutions around the country to raise awareness of the plight of the African penguin.

Endemic to South Africa, the African penguin (previously known as the jackass penguin) are classified as endangered according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species.

It is estimated that around the year 1900 about 1.5-million African penguins existed. However, today the number is less than 60 000. Penguins face many threats, including oil spills and the depletion of food sources. Penguins lose their ability to swim and hunt for food during an oil spill, as the oil coats their feathers, removing their waterproofing capability. What’s more, when penguins try to clean themselves of the oil they ingest it, which can lead to their death.

Join us!

A number of activities to celebrate International African Penguin Day will take place at the Aquarium, and you can help kick things off by joining our mini Penguin Promises Waterfront Waddle.

Waddlers will gather at the Aquarium at 09h00, where they will enjoy cups of warming tea and coffee, juice and a few biscuits to keep those energy levels up. Then they will waddle the 5km route to the Mouille Point lighthouse and back. Please ensure that you bring your own bottle of water as bottled (plastic) water is not supported by the Penguin Promises campaign and will not be available at Two Oceans Aquarium.

You can make your “Penguin Promise” in support of the Penguin Promises awareness campaign, at the Penguin Promises table situated at the Aquarium.

If the walk has invigorated the young ones, pop into the AfriSam Children’s Play Centre where they will enjoy special penguin arts and crafts throughout the day.

For those who want a little nibble and a more restful experience after the waddle, Shoreline Café will offer a special meal and the Metropolitan Think Tank will screen the hit penguin documentary City Slickers.

Locals to the Mother City have two land-based penguin colonies on their doorstep: Boulders Beach, Simon’s Town and Stony Point, Betty’s Bay. There are also other penguin colonies around Cape Town, including Robben Island and Dyer Island near Gansbaai. Let’s stand together and do our part for our beautiful and charismatic African penguins!

For further information regarding the celebrations of International African Penguin Day at the Two Oceans Aquarium, please visit www.aquarium.co.za or email Hayley McLellan on hayley.mclellan@aquarium.co.za. To learn more about African penguins and to make a Penguin Promise, please visit www.penguinpromises.com.