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But there is one Cape bird that stands head and shoulders above the rest when it comes to character – the African Penguin. An African Penguin peers protectively around its fluffy chick. All it takes is a trip to Boulders Beach in Cape Town to get up close and personal with these comical penguins.
Artists rendition of Inkayacu paracasensis There are 17 living species of penguins, which make up their own Linnean family (Spheniscidae), which is the only family in the order Sphenisciformes. You may think of penguins as cold-adapted and they are, but there are penguins living in temperate and tropical areas as well.
The descriptions of the territory’s birds, seals, whales, introduced mammals, invertebrates, and plants are written within the framework of the conversationist, so it is more than a field guide, it is a record of endangered wildlife and the efforts being made to protect it. Who can resist penguins and whales?
Take Madagascar, for example, one of the world’s highest-priority Biodiversity Hotspots: that island-continent is most famous for its penguins. Well, sort of, as there are no penguins in Madagascar, indigenous or otherwise. Larger species, that is, excluding dolphins and whales. Yet, those bird guides are hefty.
If Arctic Tern chicks aren’t your thing (and if they’re not, by golly, you’re missing out on an awful lot of cuteness), explore.org also boasts webcams for Atlantic Puffins , Osprey , Common Terns , Great Horned Owls , Long-eared Owls , and Magellanic Penguins. Photos courtesy of explore.org/projectpuffin and Audubon.
And from July through to December one can sit and watch Cape Rockjumpers, whilst a dozen or so Southern Right Whales propel their massive bodies clean out of the water, then belly-flopping with thunderous amounts of spray. Even leopards still live here and occasionally terrorize the African Penguin colony at nearby Betty’s Bay.
There are, for example, the Penguins and Diving Ducks. This Yellow-crowned Amazon was not quite as vociferous as his Central American cousins And like many of these birds, I too love to spend time beneath the water – there are few things better than free diving or scuba diving with dolphins, whale sharks or coral reef fish.
Here one is close to the scenically impressive Cape of Good Hope National Park as well as the Boulder’s Coastal Park, home to hundreds of breeding African Penguins. Here and there the occasional Cape Gannet can be seen plunge-diving in the distance, while Kelp Gulls in loose groups fly past on their way out to the trawling grounds.
The fish charge at the shore and virtually beach themselves in an effort to grab the unwary birds, in the style of a Crocodile taking a Wildebeest or a Killer Whale taking a pinniped. Some (but not most) killer whales beach themselves on land or ice to get at sea mammals or penguins, and some dolphins do similar things.
This is a good place to see the endangered and beautiful Yellowhead and the endemic Yellow-eyed Penguin. At sea there are also New Zealand Sea Lions and Southern Right Whales. Yellow-eyed Penguin at Otago Peninsula. North of Dunedin is Orokonui , a wildlife Sanctuary modeled on Karori with a fence to keep introduced mammals out.
We loved seeing penguins, whales, polar bears, and wolves. We loved it when the penguins jumped out of the water, and right onto a camera man! We have loved seeing places that few people ever get to see, and learning about the interesting wildlife that lives there. Some of it is quiet funny as well.
If you aren’t the one driving it’s worth keeping an eye out for Southern Right Whales wintering in the bay (the road is rather to twisty to be looking if you’re driving). The village is home to a seabird colony that’s a tourist destination, another African Penguin colony that’s also a cormorant colony.
The north shore ferry terminal of Manly is the home of Little Penguins , which draw nightly admirers. Along with Humpback Whales you have the chance of seeing Antipodean Albatrosses , Wilson’s Storm-petrels and Providence Petrels. The sea itself provides opportunities for seawatching as well.
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