Baby penguins in ICU

While scouting spots as stops for Miggie's Amazing Race for this past Saturday I popped into SAMREC.  I haven't been for a while and had a quick walk around the centre with Keith, one of the guides.  He told me they had a lot of babies in at the moment and I got to peek into the hospital section.  They were lying around and for a moment I thought they were really sick until Keith told me they just ate and were sleeping.  "Magies vol, ogies toe."  As I couldn't go and to get a closeup pic I just stuck my arm in and snapped this photo with my phone.  I'll drop by again soon to see how they are doing.

Sun worshippers

The residents of the penguin pool at SAMREC having their morning sun worship.  Notice how it's not just penguins residing in the penguin pool. There's also a gannet on the right and a cormorant in the back. 

Why were African Penguins previously called Jackass Penguins?

The African Penguin used to be called the Jackass Penguin.  A strange name for a penguin.  But how did it get that name? It is because the African Penguin's call sounds like a braying donkey.  Right, so now we have established that they sound like a donkey, but why were they called Jackass?  Donkey's are also called Asses (the scientific name is Equus africanus Asinus) while a male donkey is called a Jack.  Hence Jackass.  Check out this video by Hanging Out With Ryan of the penguins braying at SAMREC and tell me that doesn't sound like a donkey.

SAMREC's Must Touch Room

One of the attractions for visitors at SAMREC is the "Must Touch Room".  It allows interaction of the visitors, especially the kids, with different aspects of the marine environment.  There are just too many things to mention here, but visitors can touch shark teeth, a dolphin skull, stuffed marine birds and mammals, play games and learn lots of interesting facts while doing this.  Other than seeing the penguins, this must be the small visitors' favorite part of their visit to SAMREC.

Shark watching

I just can't help but laugh every time I watch the penguins at SAMREC and one of them wants to jump off the diving board.  They literally look like they are scanning the water for sharks before they dive in.

SAMREC tour photobomb

I have posted so many times about SAMREC and what an awesome job they do on the conservation side as well as educating people young and old about the plight of the African Penguin and other marine animals.  When I took this picture I wanted to tell you about the tour you can do at SAMREC where they tell visitors more about penguins, visit the "must touch" room, the penguin hospital and finally the pool, but then I realised that the picture got photo bombed... by a stuffed seal.  Go figure.

Morning penguin feed at SAMREC

Early morning and late afternoon visitors to SAMREC in Cape Recife will be lucky enough to see how the penguins are fed as part of their tour.  The guide explained the whole feeding process to us.  As it turns out its not just a case of stuffing a couple of fish down their throats.  Every fish that is given to a penguin is recorded and placed on their personal files.  Some of the little guys have to still get medication as well with tablets hidden inside certain fish so the records are checked and each one only gets what he is supposed to get.  After eating its time to head over to the pool for a morning swim after spending the night in their sleeping enclosure.

50 Shades of Little Grey

Before a penguin gets all decked out in his black and white tuxedo he wears a greyish onesie.  At SAMREC they currently have a number of little greys they are caring for.  A week or so ago I was at SAMREC early one morning and they were busy feeding the penguins before they were taken to the pool outside.  This little guy was the last in line and had to get some medication so he became the focus of the paparazzi while the "nurse" prepped his meds.

SAMREC tour

Visitors to SAMREC in the Cape Recife Nature Reserve  get taken on a tour of the facility which includes the penguin hospital, the admission room and finally the penguin pool.  Here you get to see the penguins that are busy recuperating before they get released back into Algoa Bay again. 

SAMREC Smiley

 In a world of social media smileys its always nice to find a real one.  In this case outside the front door of SAMREC in Cape Recife 

Swimmer

One of the African Penguins at SAMREC swimming past a window in the centre's penguin pool 

Happiness - Penguin video

Libby Sharwood of SAMREC once asked me if I have ever seen anybody look sad while watching a penguin.  One just can't help smiling around them and I though this video by Mauricio Oliveira that I discovered on YouTube is very appropriate to that and ideal for this week's Friday video. 

Penguins on the diving board

I spent my 67 minutes of service in Nelson Mandela's name on Mandela Day at SAMREC in Cape Recife along with the team from Nelson Mandela Bay Tourism.  In between helping out I got to pop around to the penguin pool and photograph these few guys contemplating hopping of the "diving board". 

Smile, it's a penguin

I wanted to make this Monday post a bit of a light hearted one to start the week off on a happy note.  Looking at the pictures I haven't posted I decided on this one because, like Libby Sharwood of SAMREC says, "You can't help but to smile when you look at a penguin."

Bushbound Girl getting some penguin training

Blogger Rachel Lang of Bush-bound Girl's first love is nature and conservation and with her bubbly personality and  inquisitiveness she made for a fantastic travelling partner during the #PERocks blogger visit to Nelson Mandela Bay and surrounds.  When there was a need for a volunteer to try something out she was always first to stick her hand up.  This is how all bloggers should be as it gives them the opportunity to really experience things and then be able to describe it in their posts.  Here Libby Sharwood of SAMREC is showing Rachel how they treat new penguins that come into the centre in need of medical assistance.  *Please note, that is not a real penguin*

Penguin photography, blogger style

One of the things I loved the most about the #PERocks bloggers visit to Port Elizabeth was the fact that the bloggers always had their cameras close by and took photo of everything and from every angle.  Like here at the South African Marine Rehabilitation and Education Centre (SAMREC) in Cape Recife. Penguin photography at its best.

Treating penguins

The guys (and girls obviously) at SAMREC does an absolutely amazing job in the fight for the survival of the African Penguin.  The beauty of SAMREC is that you get to see a bit of what goes on behind the scenes and the other day I was lucky enough to be there while one of the patients was being treated.  Taylor, one of the centre's Emperor Penguins, was busy with a penguin needing daily treatment.  He started by feeding him his fish before continuing to put ointment on the penguin's feet. 

Penguins and other sea birds aren't shy to bite so the volunteers at SAMREC know all about trying to keep their fingers and arms away from those powerful little beaks.  At first I thought the bruises on Taylor's arms were from penguins until he pointed out that its gannet wounds.  A gannet's bite is worse than a penguin's.

Penguin watching

Today is International Penguin Day and in celebration thereof I'm posting a pic of Drama Princess interacting with one of the African Penguin at SAMREC in Cape Recife.

Penguin pool

On Saturday I took Chaos Boy and 15, yes 15 of his friends to SAMREC for his 11th birthday party.  Eddie from SAMREC showed them around the centre and told them all about penguins, the ocean and why conservation is so important.  Here they're learning more about the birds in the penguin pool.  Thank goodness we got through the tour with nothing broken cause with this lot anything was possible.

Pasella shoot at SAMREC

Late last year the crew from SABC 2 magazine programme Pasella was in town to shoot a couple of inserts.  The one day was spent in the Cape Recife Nature Reserve where I was one of two guides taking them around showing off the coastline, history and plants in the reserve.  One of the stops was at the South African Marine Rehabilitation and Education Centre (SAMREC) where they were told more about the work the centre does with African Penguins.  Unfortunately the SABC has informed Pasella that the current, what used to be an open ended, series is coming to an end in May or June some time and it will only be back on air in November.  Due to this the Cape Recife programme didn't make it on air.  Well not yet as it may still get shown when the programme resumes again.