Although set in the midst of a residential area, it is one of the few sites where this vulnerable bird (Spheniscus demersus) can be observed at close range, wandering freely in a protected natural environment.

Boulders forms part of the Cape Peninsula National Park (CPNP), which incorporates Table Mountain and the Peninsula mountain chain from Signal Hill to Cape Point.

The most popular recreational spot is Boulders Beach, but the penguins are best viewed from Foxy Beach, where newly constructed boardwalks take visitors to within a few meters of the birds.

The area is managed in terms of the National Parks Act 57 of 1976 and visitors are kindly requested to respect the sensitivity of the nesting and moulting birds. Equally important for the existence of this protected natural area in the midst of an urban environment, is the maintenance of respect for the rights and privacy of the residents in the area.

The name derives from the cluster of large granite boulders breaking the coastline and providing numerous sheltered inlets and reefs. The origin of these boulders can be traced back some 540 million years when molten granite formed the base of the overlaying Table Mountain sandstone. The erosion of the surrounding softer material exposed the rounded granite boulders.

The African Penguin is listed in the Red Data Book as a vulnerable species. Of the 1,5 million African Penguin population estimated in 1910, only some 10% remained at the end of the 20th century. The uncontrolled harvesting of penguin eggs (as a source of food), and guano scraping, nearly drove the species to extinction.

Because of their donkey like braying call they were previously named the Jackass Penguin. Since several species of South American penguins produce the same sound, the local birds have been renamed African Penguins, as they are the only example of the species that breed in Africa.

They can swim at an average speed of seven kilometres per hour, and can stay submerged for up to two minutes.

Their enemies in the ocean include sharks, Cape fur seals and, on occasion, killer whales (Orca).
 

Their distinctive black and white colouring is a vital form of camouflage - white for underwater predators looking upwards and black for predators looking down onto the water.

Penguins have very sharp beaks and can cause serious injury if they bite or lunge.

Although the African Penguin breeds throughout the year, the main breeding season starts in January. They are a monogamous species and the lifelong partners take turns to incubate their eggs and to feed their young.

Peak moulting time is during December, after which they head out to sea to feed (since they do not feed during moulting). They return in January to mate and begin nesting from about February to August.