Steinhart Penguin Colony Cam

Above the Waterline

This colony view looks down over the rocky habitat from the aquarium floor, showing the African penguins as they waddle across sculpted stone outcrops, dip into shallow pools, and gather along the shoreline set built to mirror the coastal cliffs of Namibia and South Africa.

Daily Care, Up Close

Keepers regularly enter the exhibit to hand-feed the birds, check on individual penguins, and maintain the habitat, giving viewers a rare behind-the-scenes look at the relationship between the animal-care team and the colony they know individually by name and personality.

A Colony Built for Conservation

The exhibit forms part of a global breeding program for a species listed as endangered across its native range, with each penguin individually tracked to support long-term population research and public education about the threats facing wild colonies.

Inside a Living Museum

The penguin habitat sits within the California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park, a complex that also houses a planetarium, an aquarium, and a four-story rainforest dome, making this colony one stop on a broader journey through the natural world.