Conservation, when done right, doesn’t parachute in. It pulls up a chair, listens intently, and works shoulder to shoulder with local communities and organizations. Through our direct site visits in South Africa and ongoing communication with our partners, we know in real time when and where help is most needed. We work to prevent the extinction of the critically endangered African penguins through targeted, evidence-based interventions such as:
Habitat restoration
We deploy artificial nests at penguin colonies to provide breeding pairs with safe, sheltered spaces to lay eggs and raise chicks, protecting them from exposure, flooding, and predation. Learn more.
Wildlife rehabilitation
We provide medical care for injured, ill, or oiled African penguins, ensuring birds receive fast, effective treatment at trusted local partner facilities. Learn more.
Chick rescue and rearing
We support the rescue and rehabilitation of orphaned, lost, or abandoned chicks, giving young penguins a fighting chance to reach adulthood and eventually breed. Every chick that survives and finds a lifelong mate can go on to produce at least 45 penguins over its lifetime. Learn more.
Colony protection
We cover the salary and operational costs of the Senior Seabird Ranger and have funded the solar-powered WiFi security cameras at the Dyer Island colony, ensuring that 2,800 penguins are monitored 24/7, that poachers are deterred, and that injured or ill birds are swiftly identified and transferred for care. Learn more.
Emergency response and equipment
We provide rapid support and essential tools to frontline teams during crises, so that no penguin is turned away for lack of resources. Our equipment donations have included the KruShan Foundation African Penguin Protectors X-Ray Building, reliable fish-storage freezers, a replacement for a failing laptop, penguin exercise pool refurbishment, and solar-powered surveillance cameras. Learn more.
Outreach and education
We amplify awareness of the African penguin’s plight through public presentations, online storytelling, newsletters, webinars, and interviews. Learn more.
We engage youth in marine conservation so that the next generation grows up ready to act. Through the DEEP Blue Ambassadors program, disadvantaged students in Gansbaai, South Africa, receive three years of hands-on conservation education, school supplies, healthy meals, water-safety lessons, and life-changing experiences in the wild, including an annual multi-day camp for 40 students that we co-sponsor with CapeNature. Learn more.
Learn more about our impact.