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African Penguin
Spheniscus demersus
Silhouette: Edwin Price · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderSphenisciformes (Penguins)
- FamilySpheniscidae (Penguins)
- GenusSpheniscus (Banded Penguins)
- SpeciesSpheniscus demersus (African Penguin)
In 3 days <5%
15 Verified sightings at Garden Route National Park From 2019 to 2026
2,589 In all 3 parks
October Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted
About the African Penguin
The African penguin (Spheniscus demersus), also known as Cape penguin or South African penguin, is a species of penguin confined to southern African waters. It is the only penguin found in the Old World. Like all penguins, it is flightless, with a streamlined body and wings stiffened and flattened into flippers for a marine habitat. Adults weigh an average of 2.2–3.5 kg (4.9–7.7 lb) and are 60–70 cm (24–28 in) tall. The species has distinctive pink patches of skin above the eyes and a black facial mask. The body's upper parts are black and sharply delineated from the white underparts, which are spotted and marked with a black band.
The African penguin is a pursuit diver and feeds primarily on fish and squid. Once extremely numerous, the African penguin is now the rarest species of penguin, classified as critically endangered, with its population declining rapidly due to a combination of several threats, such as habitat loss, overfishing and climate change. It is a charismatic species and is popular with tourists. Other vernacular names of the species include black-footed penguin and jackass penguin, due to the species' loud, donkey-like noise (although several related species of South American penguins produce the same sound). They can be found along the coast of South Africa and Namibia. Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of African Penguin in Garden Route National Park
LIVEiNaturalistGlobal Distribution
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Table Mountain National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 2 | West Coast National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 3 | Garden Route National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
Zoos & Centres Where Found
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Everland | 🇰🇷 South Korea | |
| 2 | SeaWorld Orlando | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Busch Gardens Tampa | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | SeaWorld San Diego | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | San Diego Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Pairi Daiza | 🇧🇪 Belgium | |
| 7 | Shedd Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Basel Zoo | 🇨🇭 Switzerland | |
| 9 | Leipzig Zoological Garden | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 10 | Denver Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 11 | Copenhagen Zoo | 🇩🇰 Denmark | |
| 12 | Tierpark Berlin | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 13 | Natura Artis Magistra | 🇳🇱 Netherlands | |
| 14 | Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 15 | California Academy of Sciences | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 16 | Antwerp Zoo | 🇧🇪 Belgium | |
| 17 | Le Pal | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 18 | Nausicaà Centre National de la Mer | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 19 | Tulsa Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 20 | Dvůr Králové Zoo | 🇨🇿 Czechia | |
| 21 | Greensboro Science Center | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 22 | Zoo de Doué | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 23 | Uminonakamichi Seaside Park | 🇯🇵 Japan | |
| 24 | Whipsnade Zoo | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 25 | Safaripark Beekse Bergen | 🇳🇱 Netherlands | |
| 26 | Toronto Zoo | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 27 | Minnesota Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 28 | Taipei Zoo | 🇹🇼 Taiwan | |
| 29 | Khao Kheow Open Zoo | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 30 | Ramat Gan Safari | 🇮🇱 Israel | |
| 31 | Virginia Safari Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 32 | Beijing Zoo | 🇨🇳 China | |
| 33 | Shanghai Zoo | 🇨🇳 China | |
| 34 | Chester Zoo | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 35 | Zoo Gdańsk | 🇵🇱 Poland | |
| 36 | Cheyenne Mountain Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 37 | Banham Zoo | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 38 | Dallas Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 39 | National Zoological Garden of South Africa | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 40 | The Maryland Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 41 | Toledo Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 42 | Wildlife World Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 43 | Louisville Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 44 | Warsaw Zoo | 🇵🇱 Poland | |
| 45 | Audubon Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 46 | Dakota Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 47 | Safari de Peaugres Circuit Auto | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 48 | Saint Louis Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 49 | Burgers' Ocean | 🇳🇱 Netherlands | |
| 50 | Six Flags Discovery Kingdom | 🇺🇸 United States |
Closest Relatives at Garden Route National Park
No species of the same family or order lives in Garden Route National Park, so these are its closest relatives here: other birds.
Before you go
What are the chances of seeing an African Penguin in Garden Route National Park?
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report an African Penguin sighting in Garden Route National Park on a given day, based on 15 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 212th most-seen of the 222 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, if each day is a fresh chance.
When is the best time to see an African Penguin in Garden Route National Park?
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report an African Penguin in Garden Route National Park on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
What time of day is best to see an African Penguin?
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most African Penguin sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Is Garden Route National Park the best place to see an African Penguin?
3rd of 3
Of the 3 parks where we can rate African Penguin sightings, Garden Route National Park ranks 3rd at under 5%. The best odds are in Table Mountain National Park (South Africa, about 10%) and West Coast National Park (South Africa, under 5%).
Where does the African Penguin sighting chance come from?
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the African Penguin is recorded against all the birds logged in Garden Route National Park (15 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
