As reported by Josh Davis, Mystic Aquarium’s Senior Penguin Trainer January 17 Today I had the pleasure of assisting in a SANCCOB beach cleanup. Due to the large number of volunteers scheduled to work today, a few of us were selected to travel to a local beach and pick up litter. It took us about 15 minutes to get to Lagoon Beach, a beach in Milnerton, one of the suburbs of Cape Town. This beach was chosen due to its location and because... MORE »
As reported by Josh Davis, Mystic Aquarium’s Senior Penguin Trainer January 14 Today I was assigned to Pen 3 which now has 50 African penguins in it! This is a number I am much more accustomed to having in a pen. As I mentioned previously, there are fewer chicks this year requiring rehabilitation at SANCCOB because there were fewer chicks overall in the colonies. This illustrates just how much the population can be affected on a yearly... MORE »
As reported by Josh Davis, Mystic Aquarium's Senior Penguin Trainer January 9 Today was my first day off since working at SANCCOB and it was a clear and sunny day. I met up with Michelle and Jane, two trainers from Shedd Aquarium who are also here to work at SANCCOB. Together the three of us set out towards the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront in the main part of Cape Town. The Victoria and Alfred Waterfront is made up of two harbors named... MORE »
As reported by Josh Davis, Mystic Aquarium’s Senior Penguin Trainer Jan 5, 2018: Today I was assigned to Pen 2. Most of the 34 African penguins in Pen 2 are what SANCCOB refers to as “blues”; signifying that their downy chick feathers have been replaced by waterproof feathers. Since these penguins have their waterproof feathers, they are encouraged to swim in the shallow pool adjacent to the pen for 20 minutes three times daily. This... MORE »
As reported by Josh Davis, Mystic Aquarium’s Senior Penguin Trainer January 4, 2018: I’m not sure if it was the seven-hour time difference or the excitement of getting back to SANCCOB that woke me up early enough to watch the sun rise against Table Mountain - one of Cape Town’s most iconic landmarks. Lucky for me, the room I’ll be staying in for the next two weeks has the perfect view of it. Mystic Aquarium’s partnership with... MORE »