Penguins and dolphins and seals, oh my!
I hoped to perhaps see a penguin or two on my first visit to Penguin Island in Western Australia’s Shoalwater Marine Park, south of Perth.
My expectations were blown out of the water. We spotted many penguins, and much more besides – in fact, I was so impressed that I jumped at the chance to return. And to be clear, I’m not that big a fan of animals in general. So for serious nature lovers? Penguin Island would be day trip heaven.
The island is home to Western Australia’s largest colony of little penguins. Also known as fairy penguins, these guys come in at just over 40cms – tiny compared to their cousins the emperor penguins, which grow to more than a metre tall. And they. Are. Adorable.
Penguin Island is open to visitors from mid-September until early June (over winter, which is the penguins’ nesting season, some boat cruises still run in the area but you can’t step ashore on the island). For much of the year, the penguins do spend most of their days out fishing in the sea, so can be hard to spot in the wild, but during their moulting period over summer, they’ll spend a few weeks on land as they shed their feathers and grow a lush new coat. They can’t swim during that time, so peek under the boardwalks and rocky overhangs to find them sheltering from the sun and heat.
On my two visits in January and December, I’ve scored two out of two with wild penguin sightings, but even if you don’t spot any, you’ll certainly get to see some up close at the Discovery Centre just near the jetty. There, conservation staff care for penguins that can’t survive in the wild – either until they are fit for release, or forever if they need it! You can see them being fed three times a day (while the presenters share heartwarming stories, like how two of their males became parents!), or just wander in any time to observe them and learn some penguin facts to show off with later.
Back outside, there are well-maintained paths and you can cover the whole island on foot at a leisurely pace in under an hour, including plenty of pauses for photos. Fancy lunch or a swim? Extend your planned time on the island accordingly (and bring everything you need – there’s no shop there).
Though the penguins can be elusive, bird enthusiasts can always spot plenty of other avian species.
And birds aren’t the only stars of the Shoalwater Marine Park. Penguin Island’s neighbour Seal Island is home to… guess what? Not seals, actually, but sea lions!
You can’t set foot on Seal Island, so if you want a glimpse of the Australian sea lion colony, you’ll need to take one of the boat cruises offered by Rockingham Wild Encounters – the 45-minute Penguin and Sea Lion Glass Bottom Boat Cruise or the 90-minute Dolphin, Penguin and Sea Lion Adventure Cruise. I took the former on my second visit, and we were treated to informative and entertaining commentary as well as great sightings of sea lions, both lazing on the beach and showing off their moves in the water!
I’m not sure how the island came to be named, but our guide Sarah explained that seals and sea lions are indeed different. Sea lions have ear flaps, dog-like snouts, and large flippers that they can use to ‘walk’ on land. Seals just have holes for ears, and smaller flippers meaning they wriggle their bodies along land.
On my boat tour, we were also lucky enough to see an Antarctic elephant seal and her calf, a rare sight in this area! After a presumably somewhat premature birth, the pair was resting on the beach for a while until the pup could join the mother in the ocean to continue their migration.
And despite not choosing the longer dolphin tour, we came across a pod of dolphins that happily frolicked around the boat for several minutes. (In fact, I also spotted dolphins on the short ferry ride to Penguin Island on my first visit, so it’s by no means essential to choose the longest and most expensive tour to tick dolphins off your list! Of course, they are wild animals and no sighting is ever guaranteed.)
All in all, Penguin Island and the whole Shoalwater Marine Park have a lot for visitors to discover and are well worth a visit if you have a spare day in Perth.
Getting to Penguin Island
Penguin Island is near Rockingham, 45 minutes south of Perth city. It’s not far offshore and it’s possible, but not recommended, to walk across the sandbar from the mainland to the island. But to be on the safe side, buy a ticket for the ferry (which also includes admission to the Discovery Centre). That way you’re free to take photos when dolphins appear nearby, rather than trying to keep your picnic dry! Tickets for the boat tours also include ferry transfers, so whichever option you choose, one ticket covers all your activities for the day.
What’s your favourite destination for cute critters?