Not that we need a themed day as a reason to celebrate penguins, frankly every day can be, or should be a penguin day. World Penguin Day encourages people to appreciate these incredible flightless birds, take note of the plights they face every day, and learn about how important they are to the ecosystems.
For World Penguin Day 2023, the African Penguin & Seabird Sanctuary joined hands with Two Oceans Aquarium and SANCCOB for a two-day campaign to raise awareness about these flightless birds to preserve the species so that future generations get to see these elegant and remarkable creatures.
African Penguin & Seabird Sanctuary at the Two Oceans Aquarium for World Penguin Day Campaign
Giving Penguin Mascot (Gerhard v/d Merwe) some love
Pinkey Ngewu of Dyer Island Conservation Trust, Gerhard v/d Merwe a dedicated volunteer at APSS and Claudia Randall of Marine Dynamics talking penguins
Every Penguin Counts
Our team also took part in the Penguin Waddle on 23 April 2023, as part of the #NOOW (Not On Our Watch) campaign. This was a 15 km walk from Muizenberg to Boulders Beach and the call to action was “Hoot for Penguins”. 17 participants took part and they received 464 hoots!
Penguin Waddle
Hoot For Penguins
Middle – Claudia Randall of Marine Dynamics braving the rain for the love of penguins
Sadly, the African penguin populations are dramatically declining due to several factors, including climate change, pollution, and lack of fish in the ocean. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has listed the African penguins as Endangered on its Red Data list. Their population continues to decline, with just approximately 10,400 breeding pairs in South Africa in 2021.
The Dyer Island Conservation Trust promotes awareness and conservation measures through the penguin nest project and critical rehabilitation efforts. It is going to take a collective effort to ensure that their extinction doesn’t happen.
Here are a few ways to help penguins every day, all year:
· Invest in a penguin home
· Re-think your consumption of seafood. Overfishing is one of the biggest causes of penguin deaths.
· Support penguin conservation efforts
· Study up and learn about the birds’ habitat so you cannot disturb them.
#NOOW
#Everypenguincounts
#Everybirdcounts
#Worldpenguinday
Our penguins need your support
