Between seven and 20 African penguins have been affected by an oil slick in Algoa Bay, the Addo Elephant National Park said on Monday.
The oil-covered penguins were sighted by a member of the public on St Croix Island last week.
St Croix is one of the islands that fall under the jurisdiction of the Addo Elephant National Park. The initial report stated that 2 0oil-covered penguins had been sighted, but an inspection by rangers only confirmed seven lightly oiled birds.
St Croix Island, which lies approximately 2km from the coastline near the new Coega harbour development, is an important breeding ground for the African penguin.
Rangers launched a rescue mission by boat on Sunday but could not reach the island due to inclement weather.
A spokesperson for the Addo Elephant National Park, Megan Bradfield, said another attempt would be made as soon as possible this week. It all depended on the weather, she said.
Once rescued, the penguins would be taken to BayWorld in Port Elizabeth for cleaning and rehabilitation.
The source of the oil slick was unknown but was most likely to be the result of a ship cleaning its bilges and dumping used oil into the sea, she said. — Sapa