Waterworld Africa episode 3 – Urban Penguins: African penguins were once the most numerous sea bird on the continent – until their population was decimated by human activity. Visit a rare colony at South Africa’s Boulders Beach and see how these master divers and ocean hunters are staging a remarkable revival.
Embark on a safari to a diverse and astonishing wilderness, like no other on Earth. From the mangrove forests of southern Africa to the natural abundance of the Okavango Delta, this series is a powerful testament to the amazing ability water has to spark life where none existed before.
Waterworld Africa episode 3 – Urban Penguins
The African penguin, (Spheniscus demersus), also known as the Cape penguin, and South African penguin, is a species of penguin confined to southern African waters. Like all extant penguins, it is flightless, with a streamlined body, and wings stiffened and flattened into flippers for a marine habitat. Adults weigh on average 2.2–3.5 kg (4.9–7.7 lb) and are 60–70 cm (24–28 in) tall. It has distinctive pink patches of skin above the eyes and a black facial mask; the body upperparts are black and sharply delineated from the white underparts, which are spotted and marked with a black band.
The pink gland above their eyes helps them to cope with changing temperatures. When the temperature gets hotter, the body of the African penguin sends more blood to these glands to be cooled by the air surrounding it. This then causes the gland to turn a darker shade of pink.
The African penguin is a pursuit diver and feeds primarily on fish and squid. Once extremely numerous, the African penguin is declining rapidly due to a combination of several threats and is classified as endangered. It is a charismatic species and is popular with tourists. Other vernacular names of the species include black-footed penguin and jackass penguin, which it is called due to its loud donkey-like bray, although several related species of South American penguins produce the same sound.
