Jackass penguins make Boulders no go
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Just outside Simon's Town is what used to be one of the world's best beaches - Boulders. These days it's infested with African 'jackass' penguins. They have been allowed to take over this haven of bright sand and granite, offering shelter from the wind and a beautiful mix of colours: white, azure, green and grey-black. 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 a number of small sheltered bays, partially enclosed by granite boulders that are 540 million years old. When I was a kid we used to play in the sea, run along the sand and climb the rocks, sit on top and gaze out over the bay. But the penguins are now everywhere. They make this rather unpleasant baying sound and stink the place up something horrible. Sure, they are a threatened species and in reasonable numbers are rather cute. They strut around in their 'tuxedos' and can swim a treat. Their distinctive black and white colouring is a vital form
of camouflage called countershading – white for
underwater predators looking upwards and black for predators looking down onto
the dark water. They were originally described in 1758 by the famous Swedish botanist Linnaeus, although he didn't actually visit SA. Boulders attracts loads of tourists who come for the penguins and I guess that's good for the economy. But for locals they are a pain - you even have to pay to go on to the beach! The QSL is from a Swedish pirate radio station, Radio Pandora, heard one Sunday in Kent in 1996, using just 20 watts. It was set up by Steve St John in 1993. Up on the 49mb many pirates were active on Sundays and quite a few of them were good QSLers.
.jpg)
Just outside Simon's Town is what used to be one of the world's best beaches - Boulders. These days it's infested with African 'jackass' penguins. They have been allowed to take over this haven of bright sand and granite, offering shelter from the wind and a beautiful mix of colours: white, azure, green and grey-black. 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 a number of small sheltered bays, partially enclosed by granite boulders that are 540 million years old. When I was a kid we used to play in the sea, run along the sand and climb the rocks, sit on top and gaze out over the bay. But the penguins are now everywhere. They make this rather unpleasant baying sound and stink the place up something horrible. Sure, they are a threatened species and in reasonable numbers are rather cute. They strut around in their 'tuxedos' and can swim a treat. Their distinctive black and white colouring is a vital form
of camouflage called countershading – white for
underwater predators looking upwards and black for predators looking down onto
the dark water. They were originally described in 1758 by the famous Swedish botanist Linnaeus, although he didn't actually visit SA. Boulders attracts loads of tourists who come for the penguins and I guess that's good for the economy. But for locals they are a pain - you even have to pay to go on to the beach! The QSL is from a Swedish pirate radio station, Radio Pandora, heard one Sunday in Kent in 1996, using just 20 watts. It was set up by Steve St John in 1993. Up on the 49mb many pirates were active on Sundays and quite a few of them were good QSLers.
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