Here, the highly endangered African penguin has chosen to establish a colony, making its nests on the slopes and even in the gardens of nearby seaside homes.

At Boulders there are three beaches (one of which is reserved exclusively for the penguins), a viewing area and boardwalks that limit disturbance to the nesting pairs.

Here beach-goers can sunbathe and have a dip in close proximity to these comical black-and-white birds waddling between their nests and the sea.

This is also an excellent outing for children as the waters are calm, but on no account should they try to interact with the birds as they have razor-sharp beaks and can inflict a nasty bite.

Boulders falls within the Table Mountain National Park and so a small entrance fee must be paid. The only other land-based African penguin-breeding colony is at Betty’s Bay (about 80km east of Cape Town).