The source of an oil pollution incident which left 19 underweight African penguins oiled between Hout Bay and Kommetjie last week remains a mystery.
The Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (Sanccob), officials from the City of Cape Town, and SANParks mobilised rescue teams last week to respond to the oiling of 19 penguins between Hout Bay and Kommetjie, with the source of the light-coloured oil still under investigation.
The incident, experts said, showed that oil spills continue to pose yet another threat to the survival of the critically endangered African penguin, a species already on the brink of collapse.
Of the 19 oiled penguins admitted at Sanccob to date, 12 were rescued on 22 January 2025 and a further seven have since been rescued. No other oiled seabirds or marine species have been reported or recovered.
The joint rescue team had reported the oil-affected African penguins to the Marine Rescue Coordination Centre of the South African Maritime Safety Authority — the authority responsible for preventing, combating and responding to marine pollution incidents.
Monica Stassen, Sanccob’s preparedness and response manager, told Daily Maverick that the source and type of oil remained unknown and that no oil spill had been observed or reported.
Most of the penguins are underweight, which…
