Family Trip to African Penguin & Seabird Sanctuary near Gansbaai

Picture with permission form africanpenguin.org

Gansbaai Overberg

There are two kinds of family activities I absolutely love; the free ones (Don’t we all?) and the activities where we teach our kids to have fun while we invest in their future by investing in the environment- taking care of each other and nature through responsible tourism.

The African penguin & Seabird Sanctuary opened its doors in February 2015 on the corner of Kleinbaai and Franskraal Road. They are open to the public from 9:00- 16:00 daily. The aim of the Sanctuary is to provide temporary care to diseased, oiled or abandoned marine birds with special focus on the endangered African Penguin, in order to conserve and maintain populations. Through continued research, education and awareness programmes, they aim to mitigate human impacts on marine birds.

What can you expect at your visit to the sanctuary?

The Sanctuary offers viewing of the species that are in rehabilitation. This is not a zoo or animal touch farm, thus there is no guarantee that you will see a Penguin or Seabird when you visit, so consider phoning in advance. We were fortunate to see two penguins in rehabilitation but they were kept out of public’s eye for now, as they were still in sensitive stage of rehabilitation. The centre went the extra mile by installing cameras so we could still view them on the provided big screen.

Apssza provide you with informative talks and curios as well as a coffee shop with freshly baked cakes. I would however like to encourage you not to only visit the centre but to really invest family time in this initiative by contributing to their projects. (Donations are welcome, and they are also in need of old towels and newspapers for their daily operations.)

How do you make this a family activity?

African penguins have lost their natural nesting habitat. According to their research during the mid 1800’s and early 1900's, guano was scraped from seabird islands and sold as fertilizer in Europe and the USA. African penguins nest by digging burrows in guano, laid down by seabirds over time. With this source being depleted, African penguins cannot burrow into the rocky islands and are forced to nest on the surface, leaving their eggs and offspring exposed to predation and the elements. Cape Nature, in partnership with Dyer Island Conservation Trust, has embarked on a programme to install artificial penguin nests on Dyer Island and Stoney Point. This provides shelter to eggs, parents, and chicks – the nests project was approved by WWF.

ApssZA is still developing their volunteer project. Visitors who do want to contribute their time during a crisis such as a catastrophic oil spill are welcome to give their details at reception. In partnership with the International Marine Volunteers program, APSS offers an incredible opportunity to people wanting to work with marine wildlife. Volunteers will have the opportunity to assist in the African Penguin and Seabird Sanctuary's operations, but unless experienced or qualified in the handling of seabirds, tasks will mostly include the upkeep of the facility, education of visitors and other roles as they arise. Donors can also adopt a penguin family by purchasing a penguin home. Go to

http://africanpenguin.org/support/volunteering/#anchor02 for more options on how you can contribute.

Educate and inform yourself and your children by visiting ApssZa.

Just for fun and to encourage further chats about marine life and penguins I have added this activity from “CraftMe PaintMe” as a DIY lunchtime Snack.