Around Perth with my Parents - Penguin Island

Back to my visits around Perth with my Parents!

After our short holiday down South I had to return to work as we were short-staffed, but during the Christmas period I managed to get a day off here and there and then I would use the day to show my Parents a few interesting things further away from Perth...

Penguin Island
On one of those days I took them to Penguin Island, a tiny island just across the Indian Ocean from the suburb of Rockingham.
The last time I was there was in November 2013 with my German blogger friend Iris and husband Ingo, and although I've been there a few times I always enjoy it!

Penguin Island and  Discovery Centre

One of the island's beaches

Penguin Island is not habitable, it's just a haven for Penguins and birds, and the staff leave the inland at the end of the day.
The island has beautiful beaches, but if you want to spend the day take a picnic as there's no food available on the island.
The island closes from June to September during breeding season and is also closed on the 25th December.

Walking across to Penguin Island via the sandbar = danger

Ferry
The ferry crossing takes about 5 min, although we spotted some people walking across the sandbar, which can be dangerous. A couple of people drowned a few years ago, during high tide and strong winds...
The ferries operate from land to the island from 9am to 3pm only, on an hourly basis.

My husband, me, Dad, Rosa, Mom waiting for the ferry to depart - notice our cooler box with our food

Discovery Centre and Penguins

We arrived just in time for Penguin feeding and a talk at the Discovery Centre  (3 times a day at 10,30am, 12,30pm, 2,30pm).

The fairy penguins or little penguins are only about 33 to 43cm high and weigh between 1 to 1,5kgs and while some were darting around in the pool, others just stood within close proximity to their little "caves", while one of them posed for the photographers looking from side to side while standing on the same rock.

When the carer arrived with the bucket of sardines some of them came to get their share, by the bucket, while others ate the ones she threw in the pool.

This penguin was a real show-off looking around at the photographers

Molting

At the time we were there, some of the penguins were molting, which means their old feathers were being replaced by new feathers. This happens once a year just after breeding season, from December to March.
This process takes about 2 weeks and the penguins basically fast as they're no longer waterproof. Because they gorge themselves before this process they can live off their fat.

                                                        One of the sorry looking Penguins that was molting and not eating

The 10 penguins in the Discovery Centre are hand-fed, still some of them didn't want to get their share of sardines and just looked around somewhat embarrassed.                             You had to feel sorry for them...                                                                       

Being fed sardines

 The World's various Penguin species, with the tiny Fairy Penguin at the end

Birds

Penguin Island is also an haven for birds, and there is a Pelican breeding colony at one end of the island that can't be accessed by the public.

From the viewing platform you can see hundreds of Pelicans.

Nesting Pelicans don't like being disturbed, reason why the area is restricted.

Incubation of between 2 to 4 eggs takes about 32 to 35 days. Upon birth both parents feed regurgitated fish to the young chicks.

They learn to fly by watching the adults, launching themselves from rocks or cliff edges to catch the updraft.

We saw lots of other birds, but unfortunately I don't know what they are...

Hope you enjoyed the visit to Penguin Island and learnt a bit more about the Fairy Penguins.

Another side of the island and a lovely beach

 21/12/2016