This afternoon I was able to take a tour to the southern coast of Australia to an island known as Phillip Island. The tour departed from the city centre of Melbourne near 1:00 pm and returned quite late near 11:00 pm. There is a reason why the tour runs on these odd hours: The Parade of the Penguins. It was a spectacular experience and one I will never forget.
Each evening as the sun is setting colonies of Little Penguins (smallest penguin in the world) cross Summerland Beaches to go to their nests just off the shore. The Little Penguins have done this for thousands of years and is an amazing ritual in nature. As the Little Penguins near the shoreline they gather in rafts(groups) for protection against predators and go to their boroughs after a day fishing in the seas.
We were not allowed to take photographs of any kind as the flash could disrupt or scare the Little Penguins. This was one of my favorite moments on the trip so far!
If you are interested in learning more about this amazing species: check out the links below!!!
http://www.environment.sa.gov.au/parks/pdfs/PARKS_PDFS_LITTLE_PENGUINS.PDF
http://www.penguins.org.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=9&Itemid=54&mytabsmenu=1
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Penguin
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