African Penguin Underwater Cam

A Colony Built for Conservation

The African penguin colony at the California Academy of Sciences forms part of a global breeding program for a species listed as endangered in its native range along the coasts of Namibia and South Africa. Each bird is individually tracked, and the exhibit recreates the rocky shoreline habitat the species relies on in the wild.

Life Below the Surface

This particular underwater window reveals a side of penguin behavior rarely visible from land: torpedo-like swimming, sudden bursts of speed, and synchronized diving as the colony forages among the tank's rock formations and kelp fronds.

Inside a Living Museum

The Steinhart Aquarium sits within the Academy's larger complex in Golden Gate Park, which also houses a planetarium and a four-story rainforest dome under one living roof, making the penguin colony one stop on a broader journey through the natural world.