Egg-citing news: Our African penguins have had chicks!

The Two Oceans Aquarium has an exciting announcement: For the first time in 10 years, our African penguin colony has welcomed new chicks to the beach!

This is an incredibly special experience for the Penguin Keepers and staff at the Aquarium. It is also a significant milestone for the new parents, whose natural parental behaviours have already kicked in while they diligently feed and fiercely protect their offspring.

Since the Aquarium opened its doors in 1995, the African penguin colony has been a fundamental part of the visitor experience. Our new arrivals have come at an exciting time as we celebrate our 30th birthday this year!

What has the chicks’ journey been like so far?

The first of the new generation hatched on 10 February, weighing about 100g, with practiced parents Neptune and Alan keeping close guard. When they hatch, the chicks are adorable - tiny, grey, and fluffy; what’s not to love? Newly hatched African penguin chicks quickly gain weight as their parents attentively feed them throughout the day. Now, the first chick weighs a healthy 1kg and continues to grow!

During this early phase, the chicks are incredibly fragile and won’t leave the safety of their nests for a considerable length of time. Not only are they utterly reliant on their parents for sustenance, but they are also particularly sensitive to environmental factors like temperature or noise.

Dr Ilse Jenkinson, Two Oceans Aquarium vet, conducts regular health checks to ensure the chicks’ continued health. These checks include weigh-ins and body assessments. Thus far, the chicks have been thriving under the watchful eye of their parents (and our Penguin Keepers and vet!).

Ambassadors for a critically endangered species

In the early 1900s, African penguins lived in abundance on the South African and Namibian coastlines, numbering up to three million individuals. Currently, about 8 750 wild breeding pairs remain, and it is predicted that these iconic seabirds will be functionally extinct by 2035. To make matters worse, they were recently “uplisted” to Critically Endangered status on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN)’s Red List of Threatened Species.

This is one of the reasons why the new additions to our penguin family are so important – they are the crucial ambassadors for their species! As messengers for the plight of the African penguin, these chicks can be the voice for their future protection. Visitors to the Aquarium can see a healthy African penguin population and learn about their importance to ocean biodiversity, and the data generated from the colony will aid in international research efforts to save this species from extinction.

Not only is the African penguin the only penguin species on the African continent, but it is also one of Cape Town’s most recognisable species, a huge ecotourism drawcard, and an integral part of our unique ocean ecosystem. A big job rests on our chicks’ fluffy, grey shoulders, but together, we can protect the African penguin from extinction!

Over the next few months, our team will be closely monitoring the progress of our precious African penguin chicks. You can catch up on news of the chicks’ experiences, important developments, and milestones on our social media channels and website!