The sandy trek from sea to burrow will now be live-streamed every night!
The world’s smallest penguins (and the largest colony thought to exist in the world) call Victoria’s Phillip Island home. Standing on average at only 33 centimetres tall and weighing in at just one kilogram, these adorable Fairy Penguins will do more than just waddle up the sandy shores to their homes. They will also now be the stars of their very own reality show at the height of their year—breeding season!
After the success of two previous live streams earlier in the year, viewers will now be able to catch the blue-backed, white-bellied, and pink-footed ocean animals returning at (just after) sunset from their fishing expeditions in the rough seas of Bass Strait.
Since these are, in fact, wild birds, make sure you don’t miss out on the waddle-waddle of thousands of feet by tuning in just after sunset, which is currently around about 8:15pm AEST.
Be assured, however, that you will see penguins as this has been their home for thousands of years, with the Penguin Parade having first commenced in the 1920s. It would sure be a surprise for them to stop showing up now.
How many penguins will you see?
Having risen from a population low of 12 000 in the mid-80s, the last surviving colony at Phillip Island consists of approximately 32 000 penguins. And each night, on average 3000 Fairy Penguins make the trek from the icy sea to the safety of their burrows in order to feed, mate and breed. They will battle the surf, traverse sand and rocks, and ascend (little) hills to make it home.
Viewers will also be treated to live commentary from Phillip Island’s Nature Parks team, on hand to give insight into the lives of these pint-sized sea creatures.
For a sneak peek at what to expect, check out the one-minute clip below.
Tune in on Facebook or watch on their YouTube channel from 6pm every night and don’t miss out on the biggest gathering in the country today.
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(Featured image: aatkings)