The first group of penguin waddlers arrived after 11.30 am at the Heritage Centre today, having taken an earlier water point stop at the port in St Francis Bay.
The hikers, dressed mostly in black and white and under leader Greg Hoffman, had walked from the Penguin Rehabilitation centre in Cape St Francis, departing at 9 am.
At the Heritage Centre the Kromme Trust had tables and umbrellas and several braais going to cook sausage rolls. Refreshments were also on offer. Proceeds from the sales of the Trust’s foods stands are going to Penguin Eastern Cape.
The walkers or waddlers are hiking all the way to Maitlands in Port Elizabeth over the next four days (including today) stopping at Jeffreys Bay, Gamtoos, Sea View and then on to Maitlands where the Bayworld centre is.
The aim of the four-day walk is to create awareness of the conservation of endangered African Penguins. Organised by Bayworld, the Penguin Waddle follows the coast from the Eastern Cape Penguin Rehabilitation Centre in Cape St Francis (next to the lighthouse) to Bayworld in Maitlands, Port Elizabeth.
The African Penguin has recently been reclassified as an endangered species and could disappear within 50 years. Algoa Bay is home to almost half the world’s total population of the African Penguin.
“We will be ‘waddling’ from 12 – 15 October and the focus is not on fundraising but on conservation awareness,” says Trudi Malan from Penguin Eastern Cape.
There are two walks under the banner “Waddle you do?” The first (Team A) under Greg Hofmeyer will start at 9 am on Friday, 12 October, at Cape St Francis and walk to Maitlands in Port Elizabeth. The second (Team B) will also start at 9 am at Bayworld and will walk for four days from Maitlands to Seaview.
St Francis Kromme Trust has given its full support to the Penguin Waddle and decided to have the first ‘watering hole’ at Granny’s Pool by the Heritage Centre.
All articles edited or written, all photos taken plus all adverts designed by the Editor and printed in the St Francis Chronicle are protected by the law of Copyright ©. Reproduction or copying of any part of the contents of this newspaper and its concept and design can only be done with the Editor’s written permission.
St Francis Chronicle 