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Penguins are in a desperate fight for survival as their numbers plummet. Every second counts—donate now to help secure their future.

Stony Point Colony

Stony Point Island is a 20 hectare (49.4 acre) Nature Reserve island found 8.5 kilometers from Kleinbaai harbor in Gansbaii. The terrain of the island is rocky and features boulders. The area was historically covered in guano (seabird poop).

Management Authority: CapeNature 

Population: Currently 1,623 African Penguin breeding pairs are found on Stony Point Island (Based on 2021 Census).

Other Notable Species on the Island: Black Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo), Roseate Tern (Sterna dougallii), Cape Cormorant (Microcarbo coronatus), White-breasted Cormorant (Phalacrocorax lucidus), Crowned Cormorant (Microcarbo coronatus), Leach’s Storm Petrel (Oceanodroma leucorhoa), African Black Oystercatcher (Haematopus moquini), Kelp Gull (Larus dominicanus), Hartlaub’s Gull (Chroicocephalus hartlaubii)

African Penguins (Spheniscus demersus)

  • Lifespan: 20 years
  • Conservation status: Endangered
  • Population Trend: Decreasing
  • Prey/diet: Anchovy, sardines, bearded goby (in Namibia), horse mackerel, juvenile hake, redeye, and less commonly cephalopods and crustaceans
A juvenile African penguin is being held by a SANCCOB volunteer. The penguin has its flippers out to the sides and is looking directly at the camera. It appears to be molting its downy feathers into adolescent plumage. The penguin is behind held by a volunteer shown from the neck down. The volunteer is wearing seafoam green waders and long black gloves. There are some buckets of fish on the floor to the bottom left of the image.
African Penguin Chick at SANCCOB.
Photo source: SANCCOB, https://sanccob.co.za/projects/chick-bolstering-project/

Stony Point Colony Map

African Penguin
Population Trends:

Decreasing arrow

African Penguin Conservation Status:

Endangered

Endangered bar
Updates from the field border image with African Penguin and a noebook.

2022 Quarter 4
Update

African Penguin chick is getting a flipper band put on by one volunteer while being held by the other volunteer.
African Penguin chick being banded by SANCCOB volunteers.
Photo source: SANCCOB, https://sanccob.co.za/projects/chick-bolstering-project/

In November, SANCCOB (Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds) admitted over 200 Penguin chicks and has continued to rehabilitate and release penguins.

We have received word from the Cape Town facility that some African Penguins tested positive for the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), there is no cure for the Avian Influenza. Unfortunately, the three penguins that tested positive were humanely euthanized. SANCCOB has been placed under quarantine until further notice in effort to minimize the spread of the virus within the facility.

SANCCOB continues to accept abandoned penguins at their off-site quarantine facility. All birds cared for at SANCCOB are being closely observed and monitored for signs of HPAI. The situation has called for additional pathology testing which can cost $60 USD/ 58 EUR/ 1,000 ZAR per bird.

Your support of the Chick Bolstering Project is needed now more than ever. Thank you for choosing to be involved in this initiative.

2023 Quarter 1
Update

Coming soon.

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Penguins International
1635 Foxtrail Drive #345
Loveland, CO 80538 USA
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