This trip was about the Penguins!

I checked in at the Penguin Place Conservation Reserve to stay in their Lodge for three nights. The Reserve serves as a hospital for injured and sick Yellow-Eyed Penguins, the most rare (and also the most anti-social) of the penguins.

Not only are the Yellow-Eyed Penguins shy around humans --- they are not able to be domesticated --- but they are solitary by nature except when mating and tending their chicks. No group hugs for these guys!

In case you wondered, the Little Blue Penguins (which I will see on a separate tour) are the smallest type of penguin --- and definitely group-oriented. Only the Yellow-Eyed Penguins do not hang out in groups.

At the "hospital" compound for sick and injured penguins, the Yellow-Eyed Penguins do not make eye contact with each other (or with humans). They carry anti-social behavior to an art form.

During my stay at the Penguin Place Lodge, I took a tour to see the Yellow-Eyed Penguins coming onto the beach (or in some cases camped out near the beach). Humans are not allowed on this beach.



This Yellow-Eyed Penguin (note the yellow eyes!) had been released from the "hospital" the day before, but had not yet left the shore



These nests dug into the bank are provided for those Yellow-Eyed Penguins that choose to stay close to the beach

These two penguins (presumably a mating pair, since they stuck together) are in different stages of moulting. They moult once per year, and during that time they cannot go into the water, even to feed. The one on the left has nearly finished moulting, but has to "preen" the oil from a gland on its body to make itself waterproof for the next plunge into the ocean to eat fish.

Thinking about going out to sea . . .

Life Cycle of the Yellow Eyed Penguin (March/Autumn is moulting season)

Bus that takes tourists to a spot near the beach from which to observe the Yellow-Eyed Penguins on the beach

On my last night on the Otago Peninsula, I went out again to see the Yellow-Eyed Penguins returning from the ocean.

We were able to watch from behind "blinds", making it possible to get closer to the beach without disturbing the penguins.

The penguins leave their feather "fluff" as they moult. As I understand it, all penguins moult at least once per year, during which time they are not waterproof and cannot go in the water. Thus they have a 3 to 4 week period of fasting each time.

The penguin on the left has a metal identification band for research purposes. I was assured that it does not bother the penguin to wear it.