Contribution starting at $4,200
Exported from Streamline App (https://app.streamlineicons.com)
12 days - Each day filled with impactful activities Includes accommodations, food, and all related research costs

As a paying volunteer, you directly fund scientific research by covering permits, equipment, and other costs while supporting local vendors.

BOOK WITH A $500 DEPOSIT
Wildlife & Ecosystems

South African Penguins

Location
Robben Island, Cape Town, South Africa, Africa
Lead Scientist
Richard Sherley, Ph.D.
Activity Level
Moderate
Food
Shared meals
View the Expedition Briefing
View Research Impact in the Field Report
A colony of African penguins (Spheniscus demersus) on Robben Island
ÃÀ¼§ÉçÇø volunteers release captured penguins (C) Sara Stroman
ÃÀ¼§ÉçÇø volunteers collect data on an African penguin (Spheniscus demersus) (C) Caroline Edgar
A female African penguin (Spheniscus demersus) on her nest (C) Sara Stroman
ÃÀ¼§ÉçÇø volunteers monitor African penguin habitat by recording where penguins are nesting (C) Tania Taranovski
ÃÀ¼§ÉçÇø volunteers head to the research site (C) Tania Taranovski
A view of Robben Island from Cape Town (C) Caroline Dunn
A colony of African penguins (Spheniscus demersus) on Robben Island
ÃÀ¼§ÉçÇø volunteers release captured penguins (C) Sara Stroman
ÃÀ¼§ÉçÇø volunteers collect data on an African penguin (Spheniscus demersus) (C) Caroline Edgar
A female African penguin (Spheniscus demersus) on her nest (C) Sara Stroman
ÃÀ¼§ÉçÇø volunteers monitor African penguin habitat by recording where penguins are nesting (C) Tania Taranovski
ÃÀ¼§ÉçÇø volunteers head to the research site (C) Tania Taranovski
A view of Robben Island from Cape Town (C) Caroline Dunn

Over the past twenty years, almost ninety percent of the penguin population on Robben Island has disappeared. You can help conserve their habitat and protect their population.

An ÃÀ¼§ÉçÇø volunteer carefully weighs an African penguin (Spheniscus demersus)Robben Island is a hotspot for seabird biodiversity, including endangered cape cormorants, bank cormorants, and 2,900 African penguins. It lies in the middle of major shipping lanes, and the risk of oil spills to local seabirds has been well documented. You can help a team of ÃÀ¼§ÉçÇø scientists monitor seabirds on the island and help reduce the impact of the various threats to this fragile environment.

Working with experienced researchers and staff, your team will participate in various activities to monitor the health of this island environment. You’ll conduct population surveys on penguins and other seabirds to determine their breeding success and survival, monitor chick body condition as part of a globally unique experiment into the impacts of local fishing, and perhaps even help deploy high-tech tracking technology to monitor penguins' behavior at sea.

Your research will bring you face-to-face with the problems seabirds face, such as predation by seals, competition with fisheries, and changes to the shore and intertidal environments they inhabit.

 

 

A Typical Itinerary

  • Day 1: Rendezvous, briefing, ferry to Robben Island
  • Days 2–5: Monitoring penguins, measuring chicks, deploying tracking technology, helping injured penguins, predator assessments, and environmental surveys
  • Days 6–7: Recreational Days. Volunteers may take the ferry to Cape Town overnight to participate in recommended tours and activities (at their own expense) or remain at the accommodations to rest and explore the island’s natural and cultural heritage sites.
  • Days 8–11: Monitoring penguins, measuring chicks, deploying tracking technology, helping injured penguins, predator assessments, and environmental surveys
  • Day 12: Departure at a time depending on the ferry schedule and weather

     

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HOW YOU WILL HELP

You’ll first receive an orientation to the island and visit the penguin colony to learn about research aims and methods. Then, you'll help:

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Two ÃÀ¼§ÉçÇø participants recording where penguins are nesting
MONITOR PENGUIN NESTS

Volunteers on the April team will be present for the beginning of the penguin breeding season; they'll help record where penguins are nesting and select the penguin pairs to be studied throughout the season. Groups that follow will continue to monitor nests.

An African penguin (Spheniscus demersus) with a chick peeking through.
ASSESS CHICK BODY CONDITION

Volunteers will help weigh and measure penguin chicks. This data will be used to assess their body condition index (BCI, which is similar to BMI in humans). They will also help researchers assess the benefit of a newly established Marine Protected Area around Robben Island.

ÃÀ¼§ÉçÇø volunteers prepare to weigh an injured penguin.
ASSESS SEABIRD PREDATORS & HABITAT

Volunteers will assist scientists in assessing the impact of predation events on seabird decline. Intertidal and beach surveys may also be conducted to determine environmental changes with which penguins and other seabirds interact.

Field conditions and research needs can change the itinerary and activities. We appreciate your cooperation and understanding.

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FEEDBACK & QUESTIONS

5 Reviews on this Expedition

If you have been on this expedition, others considering attending would love to hear about your experience.
Carol Pierobon Hofer |
A behind the scenes experience like no other
Having almost total access to an island the way few people are allowed in of itself is amazing. Every day brought many learning experiences, findings, and skill-building challenges. It was the best way to fully understand the life cycle and plight of the South African penguin. I gained so much field knowledge working alongside scientists. A bonus was seeing and learning about the other wildlife on Robben Island such as springboks and tortoises.
Joan Lacktis |
Penguins and Prisons
Whoever gets to hold a baby penguin? People on this expedition do. It's a great break from the daily distractions of life to spend two weeks on an island with no internet or shopping centers or traffic. Spend your days checking nests and watching the babies grow, sometimes pulling them out to weigh and measure to make sure they are thriving. Work with passionate and well-informed leaders to learn about these amazing, courageous little creatures. Cooking and eating together gives time to learn about each other, solve the problems of the world, and learn more abut penguins. And you will have an opportunity to tour the former prison, a UNESCO world heritage site, and learn some of South Africa's history and appreciate how much has changed in just 20 years. This trip exceeded my expectations in every way and I feel fortunate that I was able to participate.

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