Wildlife you can spot both in Africa and abroad

Have you ever noticed how some animals, despite being separated by vast oceans, can look remarkably similar, behave in the same way, or even share the same species name? Whether it’s the cool coasts of South Africa or the humid jungles of Costa Rica, nature often reflects itself.

These creatures and their counterparts remind us that the ecosystems of our planet are more interconnected than we realize.

1. Penguins: South Africa ↔ Galápagos Islands

Galápagos penguins/MasterfulNerd/Wikimedia Commons

Few people realise that penguins are not exclusive to Antarctica. In South Africa, African penguins waddle along Boulders Beach and Stony Point — their tuxedoed bodies built for braving cold Atlantic currents. Thousands of kilometres away, Galápagos penguins bask under the equatorial sun, the only penguin species found north of the equator.

Both belong to the Spheniscus genus, a remarkable example of how evolution tweaks the same blueprint to fit different climates. They rely on nutrient-rich upwellings to feed on sardines and anchovies, and both face similar threats: warming seas, oil spills, and dwindling fish stocks.

Travel tip: In South Africa, visit Simon’s Town or Betty’s Bay. In the Galápagos, join a small-boat expedition — the only way to see these birds without disturbing their fragile island home.

2. Sea Turtles: Africa’s East Coast ↔ Costa Rica

Green Turtle image used for illustrative purposes/Brocken Inaglory/Wikimedia Commons

If any creature defines global wanderlust, it’s the sea turtle. The Loggerhead, Hawksbill, and Green turtles glide through both the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, linking Africa’s warm waters to Central America’s Caribbean beaches.

In Zanzibar, turtles nest under the same moonlight that guides them to Costa Rica’s Tortuguero. Each female returns to the beach where she hatched — sometimes travelling thousands of kilometres to do so. Despite being oceans apart, their life cycles mirror each other perfectly: nesting, hatchlings’ perilous dash to the sea, and the decades-long mystery of where they roam before returning home.

Travel tip: Witness turtle hatchings in Sodwana Bay (South Africa) between November and February, or on Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast from July to October.

3. Monkeys: African Forests ↔ Costa Rican jungles

Vervet monkey in Kruger National Park/Diego Delso/Wikimedia Commons

No two continents share the same primate species, yet their behaviour and charisma often seem identical. In Africa, vervet monkeys and baboons rule the savannas; in Costa Rica, howler, capuchin, and spider monkeys swing through cloud forests.

They share uncanny similarities — tight social hierarchies, loud communication, and a mischievous curiosity about humans (and snacks). Both continents’ primates also face the same struggles: shrinking habitats and conflict with people.

Travel tip: Meet vervet families in Kruger National Park, or watch white-faced capuchins at Costa Rica’s Manuel Antonio National Park — a reminder that curiosity is universal.

4. Whales and dolphins: Ocean nomads without borders

Image of humpback whale used for illustrative purposes/© Jérémie Silvestro/Wikimedia Commons

Some species ignore borders altogether. Humpback whales, for instance, migrate between hemispheres — breeding in tropical waters and feeding near Antarctica or the Arctic. You can see them breaching off Hermanus or Mozambique and, months later, off Costa Rica’s Osa Peninsula.

Similarly, bottlenose dolphins and spinner dolphins inhabit coasts across both Africa and the Americas, their migrations tracing the same warm-water currents. Their global range makes them ambassadors of the sea — symbols of how connected the oceans truly are.

Travel tip: For guaranteed sightings, visit Hermanus between July and October, or head to Costa Rica’s Marino Ballena National Park between December and April.

5. Birds that cross worlds

Arctic tern in Western Iceland/Charles J. Sharp/Wikimedia Commons

While mammals are often limited to their continents, birds take no such heed. Some waterfowl and seabirds, like the white-faced whistling duck, occur naturally in both Africa and South America. Others, like the Arctic tern, migrate from pole to pole, connecting ecosystems in their yearly flight.

In both Africa’s wetlands and Costa Rica’s mangroves, birders can find strikingly similar silhouettes — herons, kingfishers, and ospreys — proving that flight, more than any other adaptation, unites the globe.

The bigger picture: Shared struggles, shared hope

Whether it’s a colony of penguins or a troop of monkeys, these species share more than just physical similarities; they are also facing the same global challenges. Climate change alters ocean currents, forests are cleared for agriculture, and plastic pollution affects every shoreline.

However, there is also progress being made: community-run lodges in Mozambique are protecting turtle nesting beaches, and Costa Rica’s forest regeneration efforts are serving as inspiration for conservation models in Africa. The key takeaway? Protecting one ecosystem often benefits another, as nature does not recognize our human-made borders.

A world more connected than we think

From Cape Point to Costa Rica, the echoes of evolution travel far. Watching penguins in Simon’s Town or monkeys in Manuel Antonio might feel worlds apart, but each encounter is part of a global rhythm — proof that wildlife doesn’t just belong to one place, it belongs everywhere.

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