Cheeky Penguin Hitches Ride on Bodyboard

A cheeky African penguin caught a ride on a bodyboard off the coast of Cape Town in early May.

Aden Kleve, who can be seen in the video, is the owner of Bodyboard South Africa, a business that offers bodyboarding lessons. He told Storyful the interaction occurred as he was teaching a bodyboarding lesson at Witsand Beach.

“I experienced a truly unforgettable moment when an African penguin decided to join me during a bodyboarding lesson,” Kleve said. “He was so friendly, curious, and simply wanted to play on my bodyboard. I’ll never forget this.”

In a separate video, Kleve, speaking directly to camera, explains that he has been bodyboarding in Cape Town for about 20 years. He said it’s not uncommon to see penguins swimming nearby, but the penguin seen in the video was particularly inquisitive.

The video shows the penguin standing on the bodyboard as Kleve holds it steady. The penguin manages to remain on the board as several waves pass, and voices behind the camera can be heard stating their disbelief. Credit: Bodyboard South Africa via Storyful

Video transcript

That's so sick.

No way.

That's insane.

Did you get a video of that?

Yo, Surf's up right.

Imagine a push once away.

That's incredible.

And then?

Then there's it.

That's insane.

That's such a cool interaction That's so sick.

No way.

That's insane.

Did you get a video of that?

Yo.

Serves up right.

Imagine 80.

Push once away.

That's incredible.

And then there's it.

That's insane, but such a cool interaction.