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Oamaru Blue Penguin Colony

  1. Oamaru
  2. Oamaru Landmark & Historical Place
  3. Oamaru Tour Agency

Reviews, get directions and contact details for Oamaru Blue Penguin Colony

Oamaru Blue Penguin Colony

About

See the world's smallest penguins, the Little Blues, in their natural environment. Open every day for day tours and evening viewing.

Story

The Oamaru Blue Penguin Colony is just beyond the Victorian Heritage Precinct and you are within walking distance of the town centre, close to shops, restaurants and accommodation.
See penguins up close in their nest boxes during the day, or swimming in from sea and walking into the colony during the evening

Address: 2 Waterfront Road, Oamaru, New Zealand 9400
Phone: 03 4331195
State: Oamaru
Zip Code: 9400


Update Info

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Reviews
Visited in early June, sunny mid afternoon. This is not the right season and time to see penguin. According to the friendly staffs, penguins come back in the evening, best season between mid September and to March. But we still see a number of fur seals, up close. Very informative and friendly visitors center, with clean toilets.
My visit to the Oamaru Blue Penguins Colony was truly extraordinary and unforgettable. This sanctuary offers a unique chance to observe the smallest penguins in the world in their natural setting. Visitors are kindly reminded not to take photos or videos to avoid disturbing the penguins’ routine, ensuring a peaceful viewing experience. I went for the Premium Evening Viewing experience and was thrilled with the outcome. Witnessing 17 penguins make their way back home between 8:15-9:15 pm was a highlight. For those attending General Viewing, there's still a chance to catch a glimpse of the penguins on their way back to their burrows, providing an unexpected delight. For Daytime viewing, it's advisable to check with the front desk for the most up-to-date information, as the penguins may not be present at home during day time in March. Arriving 15-30 minutes early is recommended to secure the best seats, and binoculars are permitted for a closer look. The experience includes a walk through the penguins' habitat, followed by an educational talk on conservation efforts. The guides are knowledgeable and engaging, providing valuable insights into the penguins' behavior and the importance of their preservation. In addition to the penguins, visitors may also catch a glimpse of fur seals sharing the area. Watching the penguins return home in waves, with some resting mere meters away, was truly enchanting. The passion and dedication of the team, combined with their friendly hospitality, added to the overall experience. I wholeheartedly endorse a visit to the Oamaru Blue Penguins Colony. It's an opportunity to learn about conservation efforts and witness these adorable creatures in their natural environment. The encounter left me with a newfound admiration for these remarkable animals. Special thanks to guide Jude, whose enthusiasm for the penguins made the experience even more memorable. Grab yourself a blue penguin at the gift shop as you might not be able to find them else where in the world.
Great to attend for the evening viewing as the adult penguins return from the sea during sunset. We saw Little Blue Penguins and lots of seals. The penguins come up quite close on occasion and make their way to homes behind the seating areas. The conservation efforts have increased the colony’s penguins from 30 mating pairs to 200+ which is amazing. I would recommend going 30 minutes earlier to grab a prime seat, and wear lots of layers as it is quite breezy and chilly whilst you sit watching. You are asked to keep quiet and not to take photos once the sunsets so you do not disturb or scare the penguins, unfortunately there were a lot of people who did not listen to this and were incredibly rude for the duration - shouting, speaking, letting their kids run riot and continuing to take pictures with flash. I would imagine the colony would have even more mating pairs if the tourists visiting were more respectful.
I recommend going to the evening show when the penguins come back to the colony. Super cool to see something like that, as well as very interesting to learn about the conservation efforts. You are not allowed to take photos or videos during the show, however you'll likely to stumble upon some penguins on the way out if you really fancy a quick photo. It's best to not disturb them and definitely not use flash.
The tour here is sensational. They know exactly when the penguins are going to come home and give you commentary in the gap between rafts of penguins coming home. The premium seats are placed right next to within 5m where the penguins go through a gate to get to the colony. The general seats are about 15m away and the best seats are next to the underpass as about 10% of the penguins took a shortcut and ducked under the viewing fence and seeing them hop up the concrete steps was a highlight. The staff come around at about the 45 min mark to answer any questions and they are super knowledgeable about the penguins. It took about 1h for over 130 penguins to come home. Before it starts you get to enjoy the NZ fur seals that lay around playing, snorting and fighting over rocks so come early 30 min before the tour. Please note that there is absolutely no photography or video allowed during the viewing to protect the penguins as the blue/white light from your phone and camera can impact them and this is firmly enforced by the staff who are doing an awesome job. There are penguins along the walkway/road after the tour so please be very careful when driving through here after dusk.
Magical place, wonderful animals. During the day you can sit in the amphitheater and admire the ocean. I'm a bit disappointed with the evening show. Unfortunately, two months before the show, Evening Viewing Premium Entry tickets were sold out. A show aimed at mass crowds. There were a lot of people who were allowed into the show even while it was going on, which was very annoying! You can't focus on nature at all. The presenters were unable to handle the crowd. I'm disappointed but I hope that the money from tickets helps the penguin so it's worth visiting this place.
Definitely worth visiting. You can see as the small, sweet pinguins come back in the evening to their colony. Very nice explanation of the life of penguins. No pictures. We met one sweet animal at the car.Visited onWeekdayWait timeUp to 10 minReservation recommendedYes
Nice place to spend a summer after with the kids. The blue penguin is a small cute animal. They swim up to the shore and waddle upp the slope to their burrows. As you leave you can see them going along the walkway. You are not allowed to take photos in the reserve. We took these grainy ones along the roadside.
I applaud the conservation efforts that New Zealand puts in for their wildlife! All the viewing arrangements were made keeping in mind the comfort and safety of these little blue penguins. People were reminded repeatedly not not take pictures or flashes as that would scare the blue penguins. We were able to see these beautiful creatures in their natural environment, climbing up from the ocean and walking back to their homes We were not able to get any pictures of the blue penguins, but since it was for their own safety, I have no regrets. The memory of them waddling so cutely back to their nests is enough for me! I absolutely support putting nature first, and I’m glad this viewing did the same for the safety of their blue penguins. This is a must go place if you love and respect nature and penguins!! Please also donate to this amazing community!
Absolutely wonderful place If you like penguins! They had a viewing area where we saw around 6-7 adult blue penguins up close, and at least 10 chicks which varied in age from a few weeks to a few months old! We also spotted a couple hiding in their little Holmes outside. Definitely worth the visit!Visited onWeekdayWait timeNo waitReservation recommendedNo
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