On Sunday, 23 April 2023, a group of enthusiastic individuals braved the wet and windy weather to celebrate African penguins with a 15km Waddle from Surfer’s Corner to Penguin Beach in Simon’s Town.
The Waddle was a great success - we garnered a whopping 464 hoots for penguins! Each hoot validated the mission of the day and meant that the waddle was doing exactly what it was meant to do!
“The purpose of the Waddle was to raise awareness for the African penguin species, who's population is severley declining at a rapid pace. It’s our duty to help save them, and also our environment. There are about 10 000 African penguin breeding pairs left; it is estimated that in the next 20 years, the species will be functionally extinct. This penguin species is endemic to our African coastline, so we need to do everything in our power to ensure that these animals are around for generations to come” - Shanet Rutgers, Two Oceans Aquarium Senior Penguin Keeper.
Thank you to everyone who came out to support this amazing initiative. It is important that we understand the fight we are partaking in and the importance thereof – and we believe that people taking time from their busy lives to walk 15km in soggy conditions is a very good start!
Visit the African penguin #NOOW campaign page to learn more about the decline of the African penguin and what you can do to make a difference!
