Penguin Tours

Fairy Penguins or Little Penguins (Eudyptula Minor) live in burrows around the Kingscote foreshore and wharf area. Their breeding season is from March to December each year and this is the best time to visit. Numbers drop off through January once the last of the chicks leave the burrows, and through February only a few moulting birds might be seen.

Experienced and knowledgeable guides take small groups of visitors into the colony after dark. Penguins forage at sea through the day, hence the need for nocturnal tours. The guides are equipped with specially adapted red torches. Penguins are colour blind in the red spectrum so our torches do not bother the birds.

Penguins have very sensitive eyesight so white torches/flashlights cannot be used, nor camera flashes. Our red lights however are bright enough for modern digital and video photography to be possible.

Fairy Penguins have excellent hearing and are well aware of our presence. Although they don't mind our talking, excessive movement does disturb them so we move slowly through the colony, and stand still when near birds. We can approach to within two metres of the birds, and sometimes they will walk even closer to us! We must keep very still at those times to avoid disturbing them.

The penguin tour is preceded by an entertaining and educational aquarium tour and, weather permitting, a laser guided talk through the southern constellations, all included in the price.

*Note: due to seasonal moult, penguin numbers are low in February each year.