Excursion Penguin parade tour at Melbourne

Experience the magic of watching Little Penguins waddle home from the ocean to their burrows.

Phillip Island

There are few things cuter than watching hundreds of little blue penguins rise up out of the water, cross the golden sand and return home after a hard day looking for food in Australia's Bass Strait. Phillip Island is home to an estimated 32,000 breeding pairs, the largest colony in Victoria and over 4,000 have burrows around Summerland Beach.

The World's Smallest Penguins

Board your coach at the pier and sit back and relax as you travel around to the island's most southwestern point in anticipation of this wondrous experience. Sometimes called blue, fairy or little penguins the world's smallest penguins measure just 13-inches high and weigh only two to three pounds. Like all penguins they cannot fly, but their paddle-like flippers are excellent for "flying" at speeds of over three miles per hour through the water.

Visitors Centre, Penguin Parade

Upon arrival at Summerland Beach, head straight to the Visitor Centre and learn all about the island's wildlife through a series of interactive and educational displays. Next, guides will escort you down the Penguin Parade boardwalks through the penguin colony to the beach or to the tiered viewing stands. Each evening, these fascinating creatures swim ashore and march up the beach to their burrows in the sand. Witness them in their natural habitat from the boardwalks and viewing platforms, and marvel at one of nature's most intriguing wonders. Park rangers are on hand to assist and explain the interesting life of the world's smallest penguin.

Points of interests

Points of interest seen on this excursion may include: Little Penguins

Note

Please note: This tour requires a moderate amount of walking, some of which is over wooden planking and rough stones, and is not recommended for guests with limited mobility or those who utilise a wheelchair. We highly recommend you wear comfortable walking shoes and bring warm jacket, hat and scarf to protect against the cold sea breeze. In order to protect the penguins, photography is not permitted. Neither wildlife sightings nor the volume of penguins that come ashore on any evening can be guaranteed. Please note that in some cases, this tour is mainly guided by the driver and may not have a seperate guide escorting the tour.