Explore Cape Town - Penguins at Boulders Beach

Yes, you read right! We have penguins in South Africa! They are called African Penguins and are native to South Africa. They were almost extinct, because of hunters and animals that killed them and are now very protected.
When you go to see these penguins you have 2 options. ONE is to go to the reserve where all the other tourist are and then take some pics from afar. Or TWO, you could go to Boulders Beach itself and see the penguins close up. Unfortunately you'll have to pay for entry, but if you had paid for one, you'll be able to access the other. It will cost about $5 I think for entrance and the money goes toward the reserve. This is a great experience, where you can see the animals up close and in their natural habitat, without having to go to Antarctica.

The penguins are really cute and look quite small on a picture and from a distance. Once I was on the beach, I could see that these creatures were much larger than I had thought. Take a look at the picture below and you'll see the kids playing next to them on the beach, as they came walking past. Boulders Beach is definitely a good way to interact with these animals, but be careful. They could bite you!

Also seen in one of the pictures is a little animal called a "Dassie"(Rock Hyrax). They are small little critters that roam around and will always get some scraps from the tourist. Dassies are very lazy little sunbathers. They usually live near rocky and bushy areas and you can see them on Table mountain as well. Interestingly, the Dassie is also the closest living relative to the elephant. Who would have thought?

Boulders Beach is located right next to Simon's Town, which is a stunning little town. My next post will be about the beautiful Towns all along the coast, from Simon's Town to Muizenberg.