New Zealand's Yellow Eyed Penguins

A Special Evening on the Otaga Beach with Penguins:

New Zealand has many endangered species, including the rarest (5,000-6,000) of the world's 18 species of penguins.  We were on a 6 hr. tour including 3 hours exploring a remote beach on the Otaga Pennsulia, near Dunedin.   It was a real treat to see the Yellow Eyed Penguins, which were larger than expected with a loud distinctive call.  We expected them to spend time in sandy burrows on the beach.  No, the penguins swam up to the shore after a day of feeding at sea.  Then, they proceeded to hop up the steep, rocky coast to their nests in the tall grasses.  Never did we imagine the penguins  to be so close or to see so many little birds in their native habitat on a tour.  We felt so lucky as the weather was perfect and the penguins (along with the Royal Albatross, Hooker Sealions, and New Zealand Fur Seals) were out and about as we hiked around the beaches and rocky coatline.  The weather had been "rubbish" for many days since Christmas till the sun popped out during our tour

After a windy hour drive from Dunedin, we walked down a steep trail where the penguins were in grassy nests, close to the hiking trail.  The penguins ignored our small group of 8 and one or two even waddled across the beach in front of our group.  We had to move out of the way of the penguin.  Once on land, they were vulnerable to various predators.  The penguins were sitting on their nests or hovering near their chicks as it was breeding season.  These penguins (like many animals) have had a struggle to survive since the arrival of humans and predators introduced by man. 

This guy swam in from the ocean and waddled up the beach while we stood nearby to watch. 







We also saw the smaller Blue Penguins of New Zealand.  We had no pictures of this type of penguin as it was slightly hidden from view in a wooden box.  This species has also been near extinction, despite man's actions to save it.  There have been several Blue Penguins discovered dead on the beaches (including Oakura) of Taranaki.  At first, the experts thought they died from the Red Tide.  Later, it was decided that the Blue Penguins died from starvation.  So sad---these small birds (along with many other species) may become extinct during Gabe's lifetime.