Peaks and Places | Travel and Adventure Blog

While we were spending time exploring Dunedin, I was determined to see one of the world’s rarest species of penguin — the Yellow-Eyed Penguin. This species of penguin is notoriously shy, which makes it very difficult to find them. It took us a few tries before we truly figured it out, but once we did, it was so rewarding.

The yellow-eyed penguin, or the hoihoi, is unique to New Zealand. There are estimated to be 4-5,000 individuals left in the world, and their population has been rapidly declining. Over the past 20 years, the species has seen a significant decline, over 65%. They believe that this decline was from a variety of reasons, including lack of food, disease, and predators. There is currently a recovery strategy in effect to help bring the declining numbers of these penguins back up.

The first night we went to Aromoana beach, and climbed up fairly high into the nearby rockscapes to watch and wait. We arrived around 3:30pm, and settled in. There were several other people scattered about the beach, each person picking a secluded spot high up in the dunes, as not to disturb any potential penguin visitors. Everyone was very quiet and respectful, but unfortunately, none of us were rewarded that night. We ended up being one of the last people to leave as the sun went down, around 5:30, no penguins in sight. At the very least, we were rewarded with a gorgeous sunset.

A little disappointed but not discouraged, we made a plan for the next night. We decided to set up this time at Sandfly bay, where we had great luck finding sea lions. Just like the first time we went to Sandfly Bay, there was no shortage of sea lions sleeping in the sand, enjoying the sun. There was a section of the beach that was off limits during a certain time of the year, and I figured that was probably a good indicator that this is where the penguins nest. Once again, around 3:30pm, we climbed up high into the dunes and settled in for a nice long wait. Unlike last night, our wait was rewarded, and we heard a screech from the ocean. There was one singular yellow-eyed penguin, screaming and swimming around in the shore. Some people standing off to the side got excited as the little guy started to emerge from the ocean, and scared him right back into the water. After getting their attention and waving at them to back up, he regained his confidence and waddled out onto the shore. It was very fun watching him climb up the dune to his nest, way up high in the brush.

Having seen one penguin, and now knowing what they sound like, we were re-energized in our search, and planned out our next escapade. We were headed out of Dunedin that day, and began to head north. We made plans to head to Katiki Point Lighthouse, which we had heard had several penguins supposedly nesting there. We arrived around 4:00pm, and walked around for a little while. It seemed that the fur seals knew about this little area, and seemed to love it. They were everywhere!

Around 5:00pm, we decided to head back towards the entry, a little disappointed that we hadn’t seen any penguins. And then, we heard the screams. After seeing the one penguin in Dunedin, we very quickly learned what their calls sounded like. As soon as we heard them, we went to the railing, overlooking the beach below (keeping people a safe and comfortable distance away from the little guys). Suddenly, there were penguins jumping out of the water as they raced toward the shore. It was absolutely magical watching the penguins come to shore, and begin their ascent up into the brush. We saw a total of six penguins that night. It was truly incredible.

After having such amazing luck at the lighthouse, the next morning, we were back bright and early. There wasn’t a single other person there, and we were greeted with the chatting screams of the penguins. We lucked out this morning as well, and got to watch all six penguins come down from their nests and head back into the water for the day. All in all, it was an amazing experience, and I hope to see our little friends again before we leave the island.