Boulders Beach

Boulders Beach
Boulders Beach
Beach
	African penguins (Spheniscus demersus) at Boulders Beach
	Boulders Beach
	Coordinates: 34°11′49″S 18°27′04″E / 34.197°S 18.451°E
Location	Cape Peninsula, Simon's Town, Western Cape
Patrolled by	Table Mountain National Park
Access	Kleintuin Road, Simon's Town

Boulders Beach is a sheltered beach made up of inlets between granite boulders, from which the name originated. It is located on the Cape Peninsula, in Simon's Town in the Western Cape province of South Africa. It is also commonly known as Boulders Bay.^[1] It is a popular tourist spot because of a colony of African penguins which settled there in 1982. Boulders Beach forms part of the Table Mountain National Park.

These African penguins are only found on the coastlines of Southern Africa (South Africa and Namibia). These penguins are currently endangered.^[2] As a result, the penguins are under the protection of the Cape Nature Conservation.

Although set in a residential area, it is one of the few sites where this vulnerable bird (Spheniscus demersus) can be observed at close range, wandering freely in a protected natural environment. From just two breeding pairs in 1982, the penguin colony^[3] has grown to about 3000 birds in recent years. This is partly due to the prohibition of commercial pelagic trawling in False Bay, which has increased the supply of sardines and anchovies, which form part of the penguins' diet.^[4] as well as the help from former SANDF naval officer, Van the Penguin Man ^[5]

Bordered mainly by indigenous bush above the high-water mark on the one side, and the clear water of False Bay on the other, the area comprises several small sheltered bays, partially enclosed by granite boulders that are 540 million years old.

The most popular recreational spot is Boulders Beach, but the penguins are best viewed from Foxy Beach, where newly constructed boardwalks take visitors to within a few metres of the birds. It is also a famous swimming beach, although people are restricted to beaches adjacent to the penguin colony.

Gallery

Welcome to Boulders
Entrance, Kleintuin Road, Simon's Town
Boulders Beach Visitor Centre
Pathway
African penguins at Boulders Penguin Colony
Rocks in Boulder Beach
Penguin's Colony
Nesting burrows of the
African Penguin
Swimmers enjoying the relatively calm waters of the sheltered beach next to the penguin colony
Dassie at Boulders Beach
Boulders at the beach
Boulders Beach with swimmers. In the background, the penguin colony and visitors can be seen
Swimmers and a penguin at the beach.
Penguin, Boulders Beach