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Fun Facts About The African Penguin
- African penguins are built for speed with flipper-like wings and torpedo-shaped bodies.
- Pink eye patches help them cool down by releasing excess heat.
- Counter-shading camouflage: dark backs blend into the ocean from above, white bellies disappear against the sky from below.
- They can drink seawater, thanks to a special salt-filtering gland above their eyes.
- Sharp beaks and barbed tongues help catch slippery fish.
- Loud, braying calls help them locate their families in noisy colonies.
SANCCOB doesn’t only save penguins, we also rescue, rehabilitate, and release a wide range of seabirds, including gannets, cormorants, gulls, and terns.
How tall are you, compared to an African Penguin?
African Penguin Anatomy
Adult African penguins typically weigh between 2.8 – 3.5 kilograms and stand about 40 to 50 centimeters tall, making them a relatively small species of penguin.
They are easily recognizable by the distinctive pink patches of bare skin above their eyes, which help regulate their body temperature by flushing blood through the area to cool down.
Their faces are marked with a bold black mask, adding to their unique appearance. The upper parts of their bodies are sleek black, contrasting sharply with their white underparts, which are patterned with scattered black spots and a characteristic black horseshoe-shaped band across the chest.
These markings are unique to each individual, much like a human fingerprint.
