In 1984, a beach resort near Cape Town in South Africa was invaded from the sea.
The new comers had no fear of people and kept coming.
Penguins.
But where are they coming from and why?
Sweating it out in the African sun may seem a strange life for a creature of the icecaps,
but in fact, of the world's 17 penguin species more than half have never seen Antarctica.
Here at Boulders Beach near Cape Town, summer temperatures can top 40 degrees.
But in this cold Atlantic water, penguins have no problem staying cool.
20 years ago, there were no penguins here.
Today, as many as 3000 live and breed alongside Boulders' human population.
They're obviously not here for the peace and quiet,
so what is it that makes a penguin want to share the beach with us?
Until the 1980s, the African penguin had never settled anywhere on South African mainland,
let alone at a busy beach resort.
But one day a pioneer set foot on Boulders Beach and liked what he saw.
Today, he's one of thousands living the beach bound life
Millions of seabirds nest along the rugged coastline of the Cape.
But in these stormy seas, they need safe harbor.
The offshore islands are their traditional haven
and every year more than 100,000 African penguins come back here to breed as they have done for centuries
Dassen island lighthouse colony, one of the biggest African penguin breeding colonies in the world.
At the start of every season, couples return to the same mate and nest site and get reacquainted.
Most African penguins breed close to the spot where they were hatched
as their parents and grandparents before them.
In fact they dig their burrows in the legacy of all their ancestors
the guano lair - droppings built up over centuries.
A little spring cleaning is usually needed and it's often worth adding a top-up.
But other offshore colonies no longer have the luxury of guano burrows.
During the 19th century guano up to 10m deep was stripped away to be used as fertilizer.
After this white gold rush,
nesting birds are forced to make do with different leftovers - old penguin bones.
Back in town on Boulders Beach another male pounds the pavement looking for a site that will impress his mate.
Like his island cousins, he won't settle for just any old address.
Most of Boulders' penguins nest in the part around the beach,
but some just can't resist the lure of a more exclusive neighborhood.
And as every discerning house hunter knows, it's location, location, location.
The problem here is that he's spoiled for choice. It's definitely a buyer's market
Once again, the male has done the leg work, but viewing by both partners is strongly recommended.
Moving into town brings dangers,
but some big advantages as well - lush gardens with plenty of shade and color,
properties that make an ideal family home.
When morning comes, it's time to go to work.
The garden nesters must negotiate the rush hour to reach the beach.
But they take every obstacle in their stride
Here it may take longer to commute to the sea than on the islands
but the Boulders penguins obviously think it's worth it.
Penguin partners share their duties on a rota system
while one stays home to egg-sit, the other joins the neighbors for today's fishing expedition.
The hunters form a raft as many as 100 birds go out together. Many eyes to watch for food and danger.
They head out at a steady pace shallow diving for 20 seconds each time before coming up for air.
By keeping their speed down to around 8kmph,
they conserve the energy they'll need for chasing fish or avoiding predators.
Those left behind soon begin to overheat
But eventually they need to move into the shade and on Boulders Beach there's no shortage of that.
While the Dassen islanders have burrows to help them keep cool,
the penguins on the islands scraped bare of guano have no alternative but to bake.
Compared to this, the Boulders nesters have it easy, no need for their eggs and chicks to fry
In fact, moving here is starting to look like a clever idea.
The Boulders penguins also have a head start finding food.
Commercial fishing boats are banned around this part of the mainland,
so natural hunters have the shoals of anchovy all to themselves.
Of course, there's competition from other animals, including dusky dolphins.
Farther out at sea beyond the islands it's a different story.
Although the anchovy shoals are bigger the competition is greater.
Giant nets reduce the penguin share and also attract their worst nightmare - Cape fur seals.
But while the island penguins may need to travel 100km a day,
the Boulders birds can knock off early if they find fish close to home.
Bellies full, they return to their partners and chicks to deliver the day's fast food.
It's been another busy season.
The Boulders colony has grown from zero to 3000 in less than 20 years
mainly because the first time breeders from the islands emigrating here.
It seems the new arrivals know a good thing when they see it.
Friendly natives, good food and accommodation
no longer so easy to combine in some traditional island colonies.
And when the crowds get too much, you can always leap off home.
For the human residents, the penguin's presence is a mixed blessing
But there's no doubt the Boulders birds are reaping rewards from their unconventional property speculation
And they are not averse to feathering their nests at our expense.
Hey, that's mine.
Well, we did steal their guano
of course, not all African penguins are so adaptable and not all need to be.
But many traditional colonies are in decline
Being flexible enough to move could save them.
For the pioneering birds that struck out for Boulders Beach
it seems their risky investment is bringing in a handsome reward.
These Africa penguin at least is sitting on some pretty hot property.
Subtitles by Andrew and Hattie www.mvgroup.org