Little Penguin

Little Penguins are one of the attractions of Melbourne and Victoria. All major pr activities will include a picuture of them and offer a trip to Phillip Island with the large penguin viewing area.

That is alright, but it's not everything. On Phillip Island, you will see a whole lot of these cute little fellows, you will get a lot of information and you will see a lot is done now for their protection. But it will be a short event. From the first penguin going ashore at sunset the clock runs for an hour. Then everyone has to leave. That isn't much for the long road from Melbourne that takes 3 hours or so one way. And one is not allowed to photograph in the viewing area. But in fact, smaller colonies and single birds can be found along the coast of Victoria and Tasmania, too, so it does make sense to watch out for them .

These penguins here are photographed nearby the viewing area. One may not see many there, but at least, it will be daylight and legal to photograph them.

A chick waiting for it's parents and food. At daylight, I have not seen a single Little Penguin outside the burrows. Only when the night comes, the parents return from sea and need a long time to dare passing the beach in small groups. There are dingos, ferral cats and other dangers there and a Little Penguin would make a nice dinner for them. So they are really shy at the beach where they can be spotted from far, but do get relaxed after reaching the shelter of the grass dunes. By then, they only need to pass all the other chicks impatiently waiting for the next meal. And at the end of January, when I was there, these chicks are nearly grown up so they do make painful attacks trying to get food from ANY passing penguin - not just their own parents.