Earth Touch Blog

Did you know?

Did you know? African penguins Nov 14 2007

The African penguin (Spheniscus demersus) is the only species of penguin found in Africa. These aquatic birds are now vulnerable to extinction, with about 56000 breeding pairs left in the world. It is believed that there were 1.5-million penguins on Dassen Island alone (about halfway between Table Bay and Saldanha Bay, on the west coast of South Africa) at the beginning of the 20th Century.

Penguins are known to adapt to very cold climates, but the African penguin is adapted to survive in the temperate climate of Africa. To cope with the heat, African penguins are active at breeding sites during the cooler hours of early morning and evening and spend much of the day in the sea.