Protecting critically endangered African penguins when and where help is needed most. #NotBy2035
shannon.duplessis 
| The universe handed Co-founder Shannon a penguin‑shaped love note. Our partner, Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (Saprec), just let us know that Baby Shannon is here! There’s a very real chance she cried into her hot tea as she read the message this morning. Baby Shannon looks like she rolled out … Read more |
| The main food supply for critically endangered African penguins is rapidly disappearing in a mass die-off covering almost 800 miles of coastline in South Africa. Scientists confirmed the presence of pilchard herpesvirus (PHV) in the dead fish. To put these numbers in perspective, millions of dead fish clogged a cooling water intake at the Koeberg … Read more |
| A powerful example of community-driven conservation unfolded this July in Mossel Bay. Disci, a permanent resident at our partner Saprec’s sanctuary, bonded with Domi in 2016, becoming a devoted partner and an exceptional father, despite physical limitations. He’s raised strong, healthy chicks year after year that are released into the wild. His legacy is life … Read more |
| Some love stories take flight slowly. For Disci and Domi, two critically endangered African Penguins who found each other over a decade ago, this summer brought the sweetest chapter yet: parenthood, not once, but twice over. The devoted pair calls the Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (Saprec) in Mossel Bay home. … Read more |
| On the sandy shores of Boulders Beach, where tourists have long gathered to watch African Penguins waddle between the rocks, this year’s census brought a rare piece of good news. Researchers counted 782 breeding pairs in 2026, up from 690 the year before. That’s a 13% jump, and for a species declared Critically Endangered just … Read more |
| For DEEP Blue Ambassadors who just completed their final year, instead of walking away from the program, they’re stepping into a new role: DEEP Blue Senior, a real shift in responsibility, perspective, and purpose. As Seniors, these young leaders now mentor and guide the next wave of ambassadors coming up behind them. They become the … Read more |
| Most of us hear the word “penguin” and immediately imagine icy cliffs, swirling snow, and a narrator with a soothing British accent. What we do not picture is a penguin waddling past beach umbrellas in the South African summer heat. Yet that is exactly what happens along the Cape, where African penguins live side by … Read more |
| How a generous gift of surveillance cameras is helping protect one of South Africa’s most endangered seabird colonies around the clock. Late last year, we funded a surveillance system for our partner, the Dyer Island Conservation Trust, in South Africa. We just received a full report back from their team, and we couldn’t keep it … Read more |
| Most people will never meet an African penguin in person. You may never feel the surprise of seeing a small black‑and‑white bird waddle past your feet as if you’re just another rock on the beach. You may never hear their donkey‑like call echo across the shoreline or watch a parent shuffle back from the sea … Read more |
| When Trump and Netanyahu decided to conduct an Iran “excursion” (war), we got a bad feeling for many reasons. Our first thought was that the Strait of Hormuz would likely close. Our second thought was the increased danger to the critically endangered African penguins if shipping routes changed. This was one time we didn’t want … Read more |