In the cold waters off the coast of South Africa, a species that has survived for millions of years is dying at a rate that alarms even the most seasoned conservationists. More than 62,000 African penguins starved to death in South Africa’s major breeding colonies over the past year — the latest in a decades-long collapse that has seen wild populations decline by 95 percent.
The African penguin (Spheniscus demersus), once so abundant along the coasts of Namibia and South Africa that sailors called them “jackass penguins” for their donkey-like braying call, is now critically endangered.
An Ecological Warning Sign
For researchers who have spent their careers studying these birds, the die-off represents something far larger than the loss of a single species. African penguins are what ecologists call an “indicator species” — their health reflects the health of the entire marine ecosystem.
“We should be paying very close attention to what is happening to these penguins,” said Dr. Lauren Hutchinson, a marine biologist at the University of Cape Town. “They are telling us something important about the state of our oceans.”
The Sardine Connection
The primary culprit is the collapse of sardine and anchovy populations that African penguins depend on for food. These small forage fish cluster in dense schools along the Benguela Current.
For decades, industrial fishing fleets have harvested these fish in enormous quantities. Combined with ocean warming, the result has been a progressive starvation event for breeding penguin colonies.
Climate Change Amplifies the Crisis
The Benguela Current is warming and shifting, pushing sardine populations further offshore. South Africa experienced an unusually poor sardine season in 2025, with populations at near-historic lows.
Conservation Efforts Desperately Underfunded
South Africa’s government has designated the African penguin as a priority species. But conservation groups say the measures are nowhere near sufficient.
“We’re trying to save a species with one hand tied behind our back,” said Dr. Nkosinathi Mkhize of the South African Penguin Conservation Society.
There are currently fewer than 10,000 breeding pairs of African penguins left in the wild. At the current rate of decline, scientists warn the species could be functionally extinct within 20 years.