African Penguin

If you're looking for close views of penguins, then head to Simon's Town outside of Cape Town. There, hundreds of African Penguins live in relatively harmony with humans, the birds nesting along the residential waterfront. I didn't have a great grasp of the light angles on my first visit, but I returned with a better plan on my second morning, this bird photographed just as the sun crested over a series of protective rocks. It was an amazing morning, just me and a dozen birds on a secluded beach. By 7:30am, other people arrived and the birds had cleared out. It always pays to be the first person out the door!

Boulder Beach, Simon's Town, Western Cape, 8/2/22
Canon 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 IS II on EOS R5
1/4000 at f/5.6, ISO 1000