The rare jackass penguin is found in the South African waters near Cape Town. It breeds in large and noisy colonies and the nest is situated in large burrows or rock crevices. Their main source of food are the small fish, squid and crustaceans that live in their waters. The jackass penguin is not only conserved because it is a rare animal, but also because of the commercial value of its egg. It is about 63 centimeters tall and has a short tail and waterproof wings.

The jackass penguin lays only two eggs in the shallow nest that it has, and it nurtures them until they hatch. These small, immature penguins are fed by both parents by vomiting the food into the hatchlings mouth. The penguins cannot fly, but they are excellent swimmers. Although this is so, they still don't get out of the reach of oil that is floating on the sea.