Watching African penguins at Boulders Beach

Penguins and more 🐧 African penguins are named as such as they are the only ones breeding on the African continent. But how can penguins, most commonly known as breeding on ice, be found under the hot sun of Africa? They can do this as they feed in the cold waters of the Benguela upwelling current, which is a very rich system but very cold too. On land they cope with the warmer climate by burrowing, emerging at dusk and dawn, and using the pink glands above their eyes to cool the blood down. They can also increase their heat loss by holding the flippers away from the body, so both surfaces of the flippers are exposed to air, releasing heat. African penguins don't have feathers on their legs and have bare patches on their faces where excess heat can be heat. #beachlife #capetown #southafrica #penguins