WATCH: Margate penguin Admiral Paul swims to freedom
The cutest video you'll watch this week - guaranteed!
Do you remember the African penguin, dubbed ‘Admiral Paul’, hooked at Margate Pier in July this year by visiting fisherman, Carl van der Merwe?
Admiral Paul, who was initially taken to the Lower South Coast SPCA before being moved to uShaka Sea World was one of the first stranded penguins admitted to the facility this year. Earlier this month Bateleurs pilot, Don Bailey left Virginia Airport en route to Port Elizabeth with a precious cargo.
In his charge were three African penguins, Admiral Paul, Baroness Jennifer and Captain Jack Sparrow as well as a female subantarctic fur seal, Peaches. The three penguins are of similar age and spent about two months in the care of uShaka Sea World after being found stranded on various KwaZulu-Natal beaches.
Spokesman for the South African Association for Marine Biological Research (SAAMBR), Ann Kunz, said that although they all arrived on different days their conditions were similar in that they fortunately had no permanent injuries and were merely underweight and exhausted.
While at the facility they gained weight, regained their strength and completed their waterproofing. “After their mandatory blood tests came back normal they were given the green light for release and we once again turned to the Bateleurs for assistance,” she said.
The Bateleurs is a non-profit organisation which offers its services to a wide range of environmental organisations free of charge.
Although, they cannot say with certainty that the penguins originally came from Port Elizabeth, there is a strong possibility that their home range is in the vicinity of Bird Island.
Greg Hofmeyer from Bayworld kindly offered to release the penguins at Cape Recife once they arrived in Port Elizabeth.
Peaches will remain at Bayworld for a little longer before she is taken out to sea and released into the Agulhas current. The final step in her release is dependent, amongst other factors, on weather conditions.
When Mr Hofmeyer lifted the lids on their transport boxes, they were a little hesitant to leave at first but once they were out, they quickly made their way into the ocean.
Ms Kunz said the birds were microchipped which means, if the opportunity presents, they can be identified and they would receive an update.
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