I’ve had a soft spot for penguins for the last couple of years and while spotting them in London Zoo does of course have its appeal, I was lucky enough to see them in the wild on Boulders Beach, while in Cape Town in October last year. As they’re African penguins they were much smaller than I had expected (some might say they are the perfect size for a pet…) and seeing them basking in the sun on a sandy beach was something of a surprise – David Attenborough has always portrayed them in the Antarctic! I also had the chance to see them from much closer a few weeks later when I visited Nausicaa Aquarium in Boulogne-sur-Mer.

         Having seen the African variety, I’m now desperate to see the real deal – the Emperor penguins. Patagonia and Antarctica are both on my to-visit list (which happens to be a particularly long list, funnily enough) and fingers crossed it won’t be too long before I get to see them!