Cape Peninsula Tour

Yesterday I finished a four day work streak at SANCCOB. On Wednesday I worked with the oily penguins in Pen C with another volunteer which was fairly easy because there were only seven penguins and it was wash day which meant we weren't able to give fluids or feed them for a few hours while they were being washed. It's always nice to see the difference it makes after the penguins have the oil washed off. Thursday I worked in Pen 3 which started off as a relatively easy day because there were two volunteers and 17 penguins. On Thursday they were checking the status of the penguins and upgrading the ones that were healthy and strong to 20 minute swimmers. By the end of the day we had 38 penguins!! That meant lots more penguins to feed and give fluids and formula to. Friday I was assigned to general duty which involved doing multiple loads of laundry, preparing hundreds of syringes, washing buckets and other random tasks that needed to be done around the centre. Yesterday I was once again assigned to Pen 3 with the 38 penguins, many of whom are very strong, fast and not so friendly. This week at work I played around with my waterproof camera and got some great shots of the penguins enjoying their swims in the pool. Some of the penguins were quite curious and were getting a little too close to the camera - maybe they thought it was a fish!

Today I went on a tour of the cape peninsula with AVIVA with our wonderful tour guide Ursula. We left early this morning with our first stop being Hout Bay where we boarded a boat to have a look at seal island. The small island is home to over 1500 cape fur seals. Many of them looked comfortable laying on the rocks, soaking up the sun, while others enjoyed playing around in the ocean.

After returning from our quick boat ride, we drove along the mountainside of Chapman's Peak where we stopped for some photos and to take in the view of the ocean and Hout Bay. We continued on to Simon's Town which is where the South African navy is based. We stopped in Simon's Town for lunch at a beautiful restaurant on the waterfront. After we finished eating we walked to Boulders Beach which is home to an African penguin colony. There were not as many penguins as I had expected, but with the species now being endangered it makes sense that the population has decreased. I was however able to spot a penguin with a pink dot which had been released from SANCCOB so it made me feel proud of the hard work I have been putting in at SANCCOB.

On our way to our next stop we passed by a bunch of cars that were stopped because people wanted to see the baboons that were wandering around. We were warned ahead of time by Ursula to close our windows and lock the doors because baboons are very clever and will open your doors and jump in. Many of the cars that were stopped had baboons walking all over them and some had stolen food and clothing from some of the people. They obviously didn't read warning signs posted everywhere in the area.

After taking some photos of the baboons we continued our drive to Cape Point where if you look in the far distance you can see where the Atlantic Ocean and Indian Ocean meet. After a 15 minute hike we reached the top where we had a stunning view of the ocean and the surrounding area. On the walk down we were encountered by more baboons, this time a family of four. The babies were quite curious and were grabbing onto people's pants and shoes. One man made the mistake of walking past with a bag of chips and had the baboons follow him up the path. The last stop of the tour was to the Cape of Good Hope, the most South-Western point of Africa. After a quick photo opportunity we got back in the van for the drive back to Cape Town.

Whales and Penguins and Dassies, Oh My!!

Another 4 busy and exciting have passed here in Cape Town, I am constantly amazed by how fast the time is passing - tomorrow will mark the halfway point of my journey!

Saturday and Sunday were what have become normal workdays for me, except that on weekends there is only one staff member working so you are given more responsibility and less supervision. After just a few weeks at SANCCOB I have pretty much figured out the routine of what needs to be done and when. Both days I was assigned to work with penguins which was quite a task because most of the penguins were on two-hourly fluids meaning we had to give them water and darrows five times during the day as well as two fish feedings and some even needed formula twice a day. The reason for this is that many of the penguins had been oiled so they were very dehydrated. Luckily they are doing better now and will soon require less fluids by tubes and hopefully in a short time they will be ready to be released.

Yesterday didn't turn out as planned, but we adapted for the weather. Two other volunteers and myself were booked to go shark cage diving, but found out at the last minute that it was canceled due to the large swells on the ocean. We called Robben Island to see if their boats were still able to go out and told yes, the tours were still available so we caught a taxi into Cape Town. When we arrived at the ticket office we were told that the Robben Island tours were canceled for the day, once again because of the swells, so needless to say we were all disappointed. Luckily we were already at the beautiful V&A waterfront so we decided to take advantage of our time there. Our first stop was to the Two Oceans Aquarium which has hundreds of species of wildlife from the Atlantic and Indian oceans. It was amazing to see such unusual species of fish that we would never see back home and by the size and looks of some of them - ones I would not want to see in our waters!! After visiting the aquarium we walked around a few different markets to do a bit of shopping and pick up some souvenirs.

Today was one of the most exciting days in South Africa so far. A few of the volunteers rented a car for the day to go whale watching in Hermanus, which is about a two hour drive from Cape Town. Originally I hadn't planned on going because it is part of the tour I'll be doing in a couple weeks, but decided I would rather go whale watching twice than to sit around the house on my day off and am I ever glad I did! The drive to get to Hermanus was absolutely stunning, driving up and around mountain ranges, unlike anything I have ever seen. We arrived at the whale watching location just in time for our briefing before heading onto the boat. For the first half hour or so there were no sightings, but we were all excited just to be out on the ocean. Half an hour into the trip we spotted two southern right whales quite close to the boat. It was so exciting as this was my first time ever seeing whales and the fact that they were so close to us made it even more special. One of the whales was an albino which we were told is quite rare, only about 4% of the population are albino. We stayed and watched these whales for about 20 minutes before heading off to find some more. Within 10-15 minutes we spotted another eight whales, most of whom were busy mating. It was an amazing sight to see!! I was busy taking a video of some of the whales when all of a sudden one came right up beside the boat, I almost felt like I could reach down and touch it!! We ended up being out on the boat for 2.5 hours which I think was a little too long for a lot of people who had trouble dealing with the huge swells, luckily I wasn't one of them.

After whale watching we drove along the coast up to Betty's Bay where there is an African penguin colony. This was a very special moment for me because it is proof of the important work that is done at SANCCOB, rehabilitating penguins and releasing them back into the wild. We spotted some penguins with tags on which means they had once been at SANCCOB. We walked around taking pictures for about half an hour, but I could easily have spent much much longer there. The rest of the drive back was gorgeous and we had an amazing view of the ocean. We arrived back in Cape Town just before sunset so we decided to drive up Signal Hill to watch it because we heard it was the best place to see the sunset here, which I would have to agree. We got to the top of the hill just in time and although it was very cold outside, the view was perfect. A lovely way to finish off a perfect day.

Lovely View From Up Here

Yes, that's right, I jumped out of a perfectly good plane yesterday...and it was absolutely amazing!! For anyone who has ever thought about skydiving, just do it, you won't regret it. When I first arrived in Cape Town everyone kept talking about skydiving and asking me if I was going to do it, but I figured it was something I could just do at home sometime. Well after watching videos from many of the other volunteers, they had me convinced. Sure it's something I can do back home, but the view here was incredible - the city of Cape Town, Table Mountain and of course the Atlantic Ocean. The jump got me hooked and now I am in love with skydiving!! I said to my instructor before we were even on the ground that I was ready to go up again. AMAZING - that pretty much says it all.

After my awesome day of skydiving it was back to work today. I was placed in ICU again and was responsible for caring for the oily penguins which we only had two of. Even with just two birds to care for it was still a very busy day. Because the birds are weak and dehydrated they need to receive fluids every two hours which is either plain water or darrows which is basically like powerade for penguins and smells like Kool-aid. Some of the penguins also receive formula (the blended fish and canned dog food mixture) and all the birds also get fish twice a day. In between feeding and giving fluids there is plenty of cleaning to be done so there is never a dull moment. It's unbelievable how quickly the days go. As of today I only have 3 weeks left at SANCCOB and yet it feels like just yesterday that I started!

Hello Sunshine!!

Four more busy days in Cape Town have passed since my last update. Last weekend I thought I would be working, but found out late Friday that I would be off so I was scrambling at the last minute to find things to do. The weather was beautiful on Saturday so a group of vollies decided to go to the beach at Camp's Bay. The guys bought a soccer ball and kicked that around while the rest of us relaxed on the sand. One thing I am learning quickly is that everywhere you go, people will have stuff they will try to sell. Within minutes of arriving we had about 4 guys surround us with various items such as wooden carved figurines, bowls, jewellery and beaded keychains. I couldn't resist and ended up buying a few things. Afterwards we walked along the street where more vendors were selling items. I stopped for a few minutes to watch a man making a large gecko out of wire and beads. It was very impressive and made me feel good about supporting him by buying a couple of his keychains.

Sunday was much the same, but instead of going to the beach, we went to the green market square in Cape Town where dozens of vendors were selling the same sort of items as the day before. Unfortunately they were starting to close up, but I still had some time to run around and pick up a few things. The first time I tried bargaining a deal it was a little frustrating, but after a couple times it gets exciting. Every booth you pass by they tell you "I give you good price, today only" I have now heard this line at least a hundred since I've been here. I'm looking forward to going back to the green market someday when I have more time to browse.

Yesterday was a tiring, but good day at work. I was placed on ICU for my first time which is where all of the weak, sick and injured birds are kept. I was very confident feeding them and I also learned how to put tubes down their throats to give fluids and formula. This I learned quickly is not an easy task and it is also intimidating because you have to be very careful not to put the tube down their breathing hole.....or they will die. I think for my first time doing tubes I did pretty well.

Today I was placed on Pen 2 again where we currently have 18 penguins, many of whom had recently been oiled and then cleaned. I am now able to do all the tasks required in Pen 2 - feeding, tubes, and giving medication (putting pills down their throats with your finger - a little scary considering how insanely sharp their beaks are.) Now that I have done most tasks at least once I'm able to work almost anywhere in the centre. The only area I have not yet worked is with the oilies which I have heard is very difficult because they are not happy birds. Oh well, it's all part of the job.

The Sun, Moon, and New Beginnings

Today I went on a cultural tour of District 6 and three of the townships in Cape Town, in my opinion a definite must for anyone wanting to visit Cape Town. It really gives you a sense of what the blacks and coloured people of South Africa went through during apartheid and what they continue to struggle with today. The tour began with a drive through District 6 which was the first area deemed by the government during the days of aparthied as whites only. Any homes that were owned by blacks or coloured people were demolished. All that remained were homes owned by white people and places of education or worship. Many areas in District 6 are still empty to this day although they are now beginning to build homes for the original people of District 6 to return. After driving around the area we went to the District 6 museum to get a better idea of what the people who lived their went through.

After the museum we went to Landa (Afrikaans for 'sun') which is one of the many townships in Cape Town. When the township was first built only men were allowed to live there, meaning they had to leave their wives behind. After a few years the government allowed women to move into Landa because they realized women were needed to do jobs such as childcare in the area. We were taken into an arts centre where we met residents who were busy making pottery and picture frames to sell. Because the unemployment rate is so high in the townships, programs like these are created to teach the people skills that they can use to make a living.

Next we visited another township, Nyunga (Afrikaans for 'moon'.) The first stop was to visit a medicine doctor where we learned about natural healing and how witch doctors are chosen by fate. The witch doctor was in a tiny shack filled with tried animal parts and random bottles of liquids and creams. After visiting the witch doctor we went to an outdoor patio restaurant for lunch called Myzoni's Meats. The table was served a giant bowl with bbq'd chicken, lamb, and sausage along with a loaf of sliced bread. For the vegetarians, we were served creamed spinach, creamed pumpkin and a traditional dish made of maize. It was very delicious and the first cultural meal I've had since I arrived.

The last township we visited was Khayelitsha (Afrikaans for 'new beginnng') which is the largest township on the Western cape and the second largest township in South Africa next to Soweto. It currently has over 2 000 000 residents. We stopped off at Vicky's B&B, the smallest hotel in South Africa. The B&B was started in 1997 to allow tourists to experience and better understand life in the townships. Vicky is also very involved in the community and helps to feed the hungry and keep children busy and out of trouble. Afterwards we went across the road to Beauty's B&B and Sewing Project. Beauty was a very inspiring person to meet. She is also very involved in the community and helps train people to sew which they can use to make a living for themselves.

Out on the streets we had many children coming to meet us and all wanted to have their pictures taken. Everywhere you turned they were more and more children coming. As we drove off the children would run behind the van until they couldn't run anymore. It was certainly a site to see.

I feel very priviledged to have had the opportunity to meet some of the people in these townships and to hear their stories about their triumphs and their struggles. For those who are still struggling even after apartheid they don't give up because they know that tomorrow could bring big changes to their lives.

"Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened" - Anatole France

I can't believe another two days have by already!! There is never a dull moment at work and before I know it's 5:00 and I'm on my way home. Yesterday didn't turn out how I had expected it. I was scheduled to be part of the Blouberg Conservation Area crew which was going to be chopping an invasive species of trees, however there were not enough volunteers scheduled to be at SANCCOB so they asked if I would like to stay since I had done so well with the penguins the day before : ) I accepted and was assigned once again to Pen 2. Even though I had only worked with the penguins once, I felt that I had been doing it much longer. My reflexes were much quicker and I felt a lot more comfortable and confident catching and picking up the penguins. Feeding went much more smoothly as well. I was warned on Tuesday that the juvenile penguins (called 'blues') can be very difficult to feed because they wiggle a lot while you're trying to put the fish down their throat. They weren't kidding about the wiggling, but they are my favourite to feed because they are so small and cute. We have a penguin in Pen 2, #197, who is very curious and loves to hang around while you are trying to feed the others. He is a free feeder meaning he will eat a fish on his own if you hand it to him. The reason penguins at SANCCOB need to be fed by hand is that in the wild they catch fish while swimming so it's not natural for them to eat a fish out of water.
Yesterday a release was scheduled for 5 penguins and 2 cape gannets, but the boat that normally takes them out is unavailable until further notice. Luckily for the penguins there is a research boat that is going to bring them out on the weekend, but unfortunately they will not be able to take any volunteers. I still have another 4 weeks so I'm sure I will have the opportunity at some point.

Today was a little different than the last couple of work days. I was sent to the Cart Horse Protection Association which removes abused and neglected horses from owners, rehabilitates them and then hands them over to the ASPCA for adoption. It was an hour and a half drive each way so we only had a few hours available to work, but I feel like we accomplished a lot in the short time we had there. The first two hours we picked weeds in a few of the pens with horses wandering around us. After we had finished weeding we were shown how to brush a horse and for the next hour we brushed 3 horses. It was my first time grooming a horse and I absolutely loved it!! Because many of the horses have been abused, some did not like being touched and would try to bite, but there were others who were quite content with being brushed and shown lots of love and attention. Although working with horses is not what I signed up for, I still enjoyed it and felt like I was making a difference.

I Did It - I Fed a Penguin!!

Today was an exciting day full of learning and lots of penguin bites. I was assigned to Pen 2, along with Luc, where we had 12 penguins and 2 cape gannets. The morning was quite busy, after our supervisor gave medication to a few penguins with wounds, we put the penguins and the gannets in the pool to swim. There are three different types of swimmers at SANCCOB - 1 hour swimmers who swim for a minimum of 1 hour but can stay in longer if choose to, 20 minute swimmers and those who are not forced to swim for any set length of time. The reason for this is that some penguins' feathers are not yet waterproof and cannot stay in the cold water for long. Today Nola, the vet at SANCCOB came to Pen 2 to weigh the birds, do blood work, and check their feathers to decide whether or not the birds are ready to be released. Five penguins passed the test as well as our two gannets. The release will be done tomorrow, but I will probably not have the opportunity to be go out for this one. I still have almost 5 weeks left so I'm quite sure there will be other chances. After Nola was done with birds, it was time for the morning feeding. To feed the gannets we put them in the pool and throw fish at them - quite easy. Penguins on the other hand are not so easy to feed as I learned today. Both Luc and I had the chance to feed penguins for our first time today. My first few tries didn't work so well as I was getting used to putting the fish into their throats properly and also holding their beak so they don't move around too much. Some penguins will eat the fish really well while others you literally have to push down their throats until just the tail of the fish is left. By the afternoon feeding I started to feel more comfortable and was much more successful. I do however still have lots of work to do in catching the penguins quickly without them biting my ungloved hand. The other volunteers make it look so easy, but I have to remind myself that they were all new at one time. Practice makes perfect and I'm sure after 6 weeks at SANCCOB catching and feeding penguins will be easy.