The South African Marine Rehabilitation and Education Centre (SAMREC) is a non-profit organisation established in 2000.  Our main task is to care for sick or injured African Penguins because of their vulnerability.  We see our work as vital because St Croix Island in Algoa Bay is the largest breeding colony in the world.

There are only 20 000 African Penguin breeding pairs left in the SA oceans and more than half are on the islands in Algoa Bay. Various factors have caused the African Penguin numbers to decline over the years:

• Due to global warming the cold currents in which penguins find pilchards to feed on, have been pushed further out to sea.  When penguins swim a greater distance of 60km to find food for their chicks they digest the fish before they get back.  Chicks who are undernourished take longer to fledge.  The parents may start to moult before the chicks fledge.  A penguin in moult cannot swim to find food for its chick becaus eit isn't waterproof.  The chicks cannot fend for themselves.  Weakened, ailing young penguins are washed up on our beaches.  The lucky ones come to Samrec where experts treat them for diseases caused by parasites and pollution.  They also administer vitamins when feeding them. When they are fit, fat and strong they are released with a fighting chance to survive.  
• Another concern is that St Croix is in line with the new port of Ngqura so ships sail close to the breeding colony. While pollution is strictly controlled and monitored in the harbour itself, spillage can occur when ships approach and queue to get into the harbour. There is also a daily incidence of oiling when people clean their boat engines. A spot of oil as small as a 5 cent coin on a penguin's feathers will render it helpless.
• Commercial overfishing is also causing a rapid decline in fish in our waters.  Illegal activities are difficult to monitor.  Many penguins are simply starving because they cannot find food.

In September 2009, SAMREC moved into their new premises in the Cape Recife Nature Reserve.  A grant from the National Lotto allowed for premises designed specifically for sick African Penguins and other birds.  The architect studied prevailing winds so that germs and harmful grass spores would be blown away from the building. The design incorporates a huge concrete area which can accommodate 2000 birds if there is a bad oil spill.  This did happen in 1998 when an emergency area was set up at the PE harbour.