Phillip Island in Australia offers a range of attractions and activities for families and vacationers, including wildlife viewing, surfing, dining on fish and chips, and exploring Churchill Island.
If you're staying in Melbourne, it's well worth a trip to Phillip Island. You can explore the amazing beaches, take in incredible coastal views and see these unique Australian seabirds up close. You can go on a Penguin Parade tour from Melbourne.
Discover how photographing penguins can harm them
The Little Penguins of Phillip Island are a popular tourist attraction, often seen waddling up to shore on the beach strip after sunset. Tourists often want to take photos of these unique creatures, which can hurt the animals.
About the Little Penguins
Little Penguins are the smallest on earth, measuring up to 33 centimetres in height. They have a dark blue back and a light white belly for camouflage in the ocean. Little Penguins spend most of their time hunting for fish in the sea. They only return to their nests at night. Phillip Island offers a sustainable viewing platform where you can observe these penguins in the wild.
Can visitors take photos at the Penguin Parade?
Reckon, can you snap pics at the Penguin Parade? Fair shake, it's a bit of a sticky wicket because taking photos is a big no-no at the Penguin Parade once the sun's done its dash. That's because the flash from your camera can properly muddle up the little penguins as they're shuffling back to their digs.
It's a big deal that these Little Penguins make it back to their burrows with minimal fuss and bother. There is too much flashy business, and they might chuck their tucker. That's no good, right? This means they drop the feed they've just scoffed down, plus any they were bringing back for the fam.
That's why you're not to take photos at the Penguin Parade after the sun's kissed the sky goodbye. But, if it's before nightfall and you spot penguins – or other Aussie critters like wallabies and geese – go on, snap away. Just keep that flash off, will you?
And hey, feel free to take selfies, shots of your mates, the stunning scenery, and the beach – whatever floats your boat. Stick to the no-flash rule, and power down your camera post-sunset.
Keep your ears peeled for announcements at the Penguin Parade telling you when it's time to put the camera away. It's all for the penguins – the very reason you're there. Make sure you play by the rules for their sake!
How can pictures be obtained?
Loads of folks trekking out to the Penguin Parade end up gutted when they cop the no-photo rule, dead keen to snag a top-notch pic of the little blokes. The folks at Penguin Parade get it. They're on to it, sorting out the tourists and the penguins by knocking up a free stash of snaps of the local Little Penguin mates for anyone to download. Just whack the Penguin Parade's app on your phone and start flicking through a collection of beautiful shots, from up close and personal to group huddles and even a few of the critters in their digs. Pro snappers take all these shots, so they're a fair shake better than any happy snap you'd take on your own!
More attractions to explore on Phillip Island
Phillip Island offers a variety of attractions beyond the nightly Penguin Parade, including opportunities to see penguins, seals, whales, and migrating sea birds. The island is known for its diverse marine and land animal populations.
Seal Rocks
Seals can be found resting on Seal Rocks, home of Melbourne's largest colony of Australian fur seals. Binoculars along the Nobbies Boardwalk can be used to spot seals on the rocks as they feed in the surrounding waters of Phillip Island.
The Nobbies
The Nobbies are rock formations off the coast of Phillip Island that serve as a significant habitat for the island's Little Penguins. Visitors can observe these rocks from Point Grant and the Nobbies Visitor Centre boardwalks. Visiting the Nobbies before sunset offers stunning views of the Southern Ocean and Western Port Bay.
Woolamai Beach
Cape Woolamai at Phillip Island is known for its pink granite cliffs, surf beach, wildlife, and reputation as a top surf spot. It is recommended for experienced surfers due to its big swells and beach breaks.
Whales in Winter
During the winter season, whales can be observed along the coast of Phillip Island as they search for food in Western Port Bay. Southern Right whales are commonly seen, with occasional sightings of Humpback whales and Orcas.
Shearwater Birds
Cape Woolmaai is a nesting ground for many migratory short-tailed shearwaters. These birds travel 8,000 kilometres from the Alaskan Aleutian Islands to Phillip Island, where they build nests in burrows around the area and head out to sea during the day to fish.
