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Sleepy African Penguin
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| [Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note |
The African Penguin (Spheniscus demersus), also known as the Blackfooted Penguin (and formerly as the Jackass Penguin), is found on the south-western coast of Africa, living in colonies on 24 islands between Namibia and Algoa Bay, near Port Elizabeth, South Africa, with the largest colony on Dyer Island, near Kleinbaai. Two colonies were established by penguins in the 1980s on the mainland near Cape Town at Boulders Beach near Simon's Town (where this photo was taken) and Stony Point in Betty's Bay. Mainland colonies probably only became possible in recent times due to the reduction of predator numbers, although the Betty's Bay colony has been attacked by leopard seals. The only other mainland colony is in Namibia, but it is not known when this was established.
Boulders Beach is a popular tourist attraction, for the beach, swimming and the penguins. The penguins will allow people to approach them as close as a meter (three ft), and so are often photographed.
The closest relatives of the African Penguins are the Humboldt and Magellanic penguins found in southern South America and the Galápagos Penguin found in the Pacific Ocean near the equator. African Penguins like warm weather. |
mariki, ralfsworld, Scott has marked this note useful
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Hi Mike
You did good work by capturing this Sleepy African Penguin.
Cool pose and nice details.
TFS
Ralf
- Scott
![Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 213 W: 0 N: 298]](http://i1.treknature.com/misc/g-n-g.gif)
(1398) - [2007-12-10 6:23]
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Mike,
Well done, I didn't know these guys lived so far north.
TFS
Scott
Hello Mike,
Interesting to see this fellow sleeping, or is he just sleepy, hehehe!
Good point of view and fine details, maybe the low light leads to a bit dull colours...
Made a quick workshop to brighten his day!
Greetings,
Pablo -
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- mariki
![Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 987 W: 65 N: 1991]](http://i1.treknature.com/misc/g-g-g.gif)
(8329) - [2007-12-10 7:39]
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Hello Mike,
Very beautiful picture of this Penguin. Good POV and DOF. Very nice surrounding. Beautiful natural colours.
Well done,
Cheers,
Mariki
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- mrcrow
(2996)
- [2007-12-11 2:37]
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hi mike..think i may have visited this beach when we visited the cape..
i was so amused how they came bounding out of the surf..
i remember we walked on boardwalks to get closer looks at them and the young
your shot is well exposed considering the black and white tones and sharp.
note is excellent and helped refresh my memory of all the guide told us
cheers
geof
![Silver Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 45 W: 3 N: 121]](http://i1.treknature.com/misc/s-n-g.gif){kind=small}