Jackass Penguins

{you cannot imagine how excited I was when I saw this sign!}

Another highlight of the trip was seeing the insanely cute Jackass penguins at Boulders Beach. Wait, what? Jackass? Yes!! Well, because of their donkey-like braying they were previously named the Jackass penguin. Since several South American penguins make the same sound, they have (unfortunately) been renamed African penguins. They are the only type of penguins found in Africa.

Here are some fun facts about penguins:

-  They can stay submerged for up to 2 minutes. That's a long time for such a small animal

-  The African (Jackass) penguin is endangered

-  Their black and white coloring is not only stylish but also camouflage. White is for underwater predators looking up and black is for predators looking down

-  They are a monogamous and have lifetime partners! Awwwwww!

Next time we visit the penguins, we will go to Foxy Beach instead of Boulders Beach. Rumor has it you can get within a few meters of them. I will probably pass out from cuteness overload.

{my penguin pose. yep, nailed it.}

{first glimpse at penguins. look for the tiny black dots on far left and right rocks}

{closer to the penguins}

{penguins in the lower left corner of photo}

{some penguins, like this guy in the lower left, were still molting}

{catching some rays and a power nap}

{view of Simons Town, across the bay}

How cute are the penguins?!?! We cannot wait to see them again in February when we go back to Cape Town with Dad and Annie. Yay!!!

Love,

Jess & Mat