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All Australia St Kilda St. Kilda Pier Penguin Colony

St. Kilda Pier Penguin Colony

You'll find the little birds tucked within the rocks of this Australian beach.

St Kilda, Australia

Added By
john greenfelder
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A little penguin.   Shann Yu/cc by-nd 2.0
A little penguin.   Shann Yu/cc by-nd 2.0
Penguin hiding in the rocks.   zep / Atlas Obscura User
From the breakwater toward Melbourne.   zep / Atlas Obscura User
Penguin in the rocks.   zep / Atlas Obscura User
Up from the water.   zep / Atlas Obscura User
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About

St. Kilda Pier offers an unusual gem of a natural wildlife experience within the shadows of an Australian Metropolis, as it’s home to several thousand penguins.

An active colony of little penguins (formerly known as “fairy” penguins) has lived at the breakwater at the end of the pier in St. Kilda, a small suburb of Melbourne, since the pier’s construction in the mid-1950s.

A small but dedicated group of volunteers looks after the penguins, helping keep them safe from wayward tourists. The volunteers will point out penguins nestled among the rocks and help people locate the animals while also protecting them from overeager visitors.

Crowds of people arrive most evenings, but often leave shortly after sundown. Occasionally, you can find the penguins hiding in the rocks in daylight hours, but they'll be more active and mobile after dark. To see the most activity, come prepared to stay well into the night. Make sure you give the birds plenty of space and move if they scamper across the place you’re standing.

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Animals Birds Penguins

Know Before You Go

The penguins are mostly active after nightfall. There are no available restrooms and temperatures drop significantly on the pier after sundown.

Do not feed, touch, or handle them, and move if they start coming toward you. Don’t crowd them if they happen to be away from the protective fences, and stay off the rocks that lead down to the water. Don't use flash photography or white flashlights (red filtered illumination is alright) to view or photograph the penguins. It can sicken or injure the penguins, and you'll at best get a good dose of crowd shaming.

Community Contributors

Added By

zep

Edited By

Kerry Wolfe

  • Kerry Wolfe

Published

June 28, 2019

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St. Kilda Pier Penguin Colony
8 Jacka Blvd
St Kilda, 3182
Australia
-37.864725, 144.964782
Visit Website
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Photo of St Kilda

St Kilda

Australia

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Photo of St Kilda

St Kilda

Australia

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