Betty’s Bay is a quaint seaside village on South Africa’s south-western coastline, about 90km from Cape Town (part of the route follows the scenically spectacular R44 Clarence Drive along the False Bay coastline, offering superb whale-watching at the right time of year). The town’s most endearing residents – African Penguins – have lived at this address since 1982 in one of just three mainland breeding colonies of these charismatic birds. What used to be the Waaygat Whaling Station until the mid-1900’s is now the Stony Point Nature Reserve, a haven for not only the penguins but many other species of wildlife as well. Of archeological interest at Stony Point is a midden of abalone shells indicative of the lifestyle of Khoisan people dating back to before colonial times.
The stars of this show is undoubtedly the African Penguins, with about 2,000 breeding pairs of these endangered birds now at home here. The management authority have provided artificial nests made of fibreglass to the penguins as the site does not yet have the deep deposit of guano that penguins require to dig their nest burrows as is their natural habit.
Besides the penguins four species of cormorant breed on the rocks of Stony Point, while many other kinds of sea, shore and land birds also find a home here and dassies, lizards and agamas vie for position to bathe in the sun on the rocks.
The Stony Point Nature Reserve is managed by CapeNature. An enclosed walkway leading through the colony, with informative displays along the way, allows visitors to view the penguins and other wildlife at close quarters without disturbing them. At the entrance to the walkway is a very popular restaurant operated by a local community organisation.
DeWetsWild 
Ek herken ‘n paar paaie in jou foto’s – Betty’s Bay is ‘n lieflike plekkie! En julle het soveel mooi foto’s van die pikkewyne geneem (hulle is nogal fotogenies) 😉.
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Ons geniet dit baie om nuwe plekke te besoek elke keer wat ons die pad vat – Bettiesbaai was nou een so plekkie. En het hulle nie die fraaiste inwoners nie!?
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You see such interesting creatures on your travels 🙂
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A blessing to live in a country where that’s possible, Anne!
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Lekker gekuier op “Stony Point”. Interessant van pikkewyne wat verveer of is dit verhaar? Nooit so aandag daaraan gegee nie. Sjoe, maar tyd stap aan. Ek sien jy noem dat Joubert nou in graad 8 is die jaar. Watter skool is hy in, as ek mag vra?
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Interessant dat hulle verveer, ne Ineke, en dan vir n wyle nie kan gaan visvang nie omdat hul geen insulasie teen die koue water het tot die nuwe vere ingegroei het nie.
Joubert is van hierdie jaar af in Hoerskool Garsfontein,. Ons is bevoorreg om n goeie skool naby ons te he.
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Baie interessant van pikkewyne. So het elke dier sy af tyd as mens dit so kan noem. Jul is beslis bevoorreg om in Garsfontein hoërskool se omgewing te bly.
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Dis die mooiste versameling fotos wat ek nou nog van hulle gesien het, De Wet. Joubert raak ook nou baie goed agter sy kamera!
Is hy hierdie jaar hoërskool toe?
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Baie dankie vir die gawe kommentaar, Una!
Ja, Joubert het hierdie jaar Graad 8 toe gegaan. Ek kan dit amper nie glo nie!
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Do the penguins stay in Africa or they move to Antartica? Great photos, guys! 🙂
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Thanks, H.J. These are African Penguins and they are permanent residents on our shores. From time to time we get vagrant penguins of other species that live further south, and when that happens they get the bird watchers very excited!
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Joubert–great shot of the Egyptian Goose coming in for a landing!
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I’ll pass your congratulations to Joubert as soon as he comes downstairs this morning, Lois. Thank you!
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