Among the quirkiest of Cape Town’s ‘cultural’ experiences, you’ll hear these inimitable little fellows before you see them, their delightful donkey-like braying having spawned their alternative moniker – jackass penguins. Authorities have built boardwalks amid the dunes at the edge of Foxy Beach, so visitors can walk among the knee-high birds without disturbing them. The penguins, many of their rituals very human-like, are surprisingly entertaining – it’s not unlike watching a kind of delightful, tuxedoed soap opera. The penguins have been expanding their numbers here since 1985, having grown from just two breeding pairs to over 3,000 birds, and while human intervention has helped preserve the integrity of the environment, this remains a natural habitat for these creatures. It’s possible to swim at nearby Boulders or Seaforth beaches, with the good chance of the penguins joining you in the False Bay waters, mercifully a little warmer than the sea at Clifton or Camps Bay.