Country Article / Postcards
Aussie Penguins on Parade
Date: 11/29/2004
At the end of Summerland Peninsula, 78 miles south of Melbourne, Phillip Island's rugged coastline and mountain peaks are an awe-inspiring sight. Off the southwest coast are rock formations known as the "Nobbies," where colonies of shearwaters, known as muttonbirds (because they reportedly taste like old mutton), nest. In the distance, Australia's largest colony of fur seals basks and plays in the lazy summer sunshine on Seal Rock. But we've come to the beach to wait for twilight, which ushers in the island's most popular attraction--the Penguin Parade. Starring the "Fairy" or "Little Penguins," the smallest of the world's 17 species, this nightly ritual has taken place for thousands of years.
As the sun slowly disappears, the penguins make their way home after a day's fishing at sea, into burrows in the dunes where hungry chicks are waiting to be fed. It's late November, and the penguins usually arrive around 8:15 p.m. The sky darkens, dusk turns to night, and a hush steals over the audience. All eyes strain toward the water as shadowy shapes emerge from the sea. One penguin takes the lead, followed by a line of five more, with a sixth lagging behind. They waddle onto the sand of Summerland Beach, sense the crowd, then quickly hurry back to the safety of the ocean.
There's a quick intake of breath from the crowd as another team plods purposefully forward. One straggler has a change of heart and backtracks, but within minutes a third troupe crosses the beach toward their niches in the sand, then another, and another, and another...
Fifty minutes later we leave the viewing stand to begin our own parade back to the visitor's center. Out of the corner of my eye I see movement to the side of the elevated boardwalk, and we stop to enjoy a close-up view of our plump-tummied friends.
For more about Phillip Island (and to see a video clip of the Penguin Parade), visit: http://www.penguins.org.au/. To reach the island by car from Melbourne, take the Monash Freeway (M1), turn south onto the South Gippsland Highway (M420), and then take the Phillip Island turn-off to San Remo. Cross the bridge onto the island and follow the signs. Major day-tour bus companies also offer daily runs from Melbourne, and overnight accommodations are available on the island.
Elise Warner
For International Living