The NSRI in Port Elizabeth launched two of its rescue craft, along with a rigid inflatable from SANPARKS on Saturday to assist in the search and recovery of oiled African Penguins at St Croix Island and the adjacent smaller Jaheel Island and Brenton Island in Algoa Bay.
In the past week, SANParks and SANCCOB have recovered a number of oiled Penguins in the area believed to have been affected by an oil spill caused by a ship to ship oil transfer.
The oil transfer is still under investigation by the South African Maritime Safety Authority.
NSRI Port Elizabeth station commander Ian Grey says 47 oiled penguins were recovered of which 32 were adults and 15 were chicks.
The Penguins were brought into the Port of Ngqura aboard the sea rescue craft and aboard the SANParks craft and were than transported to treatment centres at SAMREC in Port Elizabeth and SANCCOB in Cape St Francis.
SANCCOB has appealed for towels and newspapers, used in the cleaning of the Penguins, to be brought to their offices in Cape St Francis or dropped off at Wimpy in Jeffreys Bay.
