Visit the Oamaru Blue Penguin Colony in Waitaki

Do you want to get up close and personal with some of the smallest penguins in the world? Come along and visit the Oamaru Blue Penguin Colony and watch the penguins as they make their way home from their fishing trip and make their way onto the beach into the colony! Add this to your stack and get one step closer to meeting these delightful little creatures!

The little blue penguins here, or Kororā, the Māori name for them, are the world’s smallest penguin species! These penguins are around 30 centimetres tall, weigh up to 1kg as an adult, and have a life span of between 8 and 10 years! At the Oamaru Blue Penguin Colony, some of the birds are over 20 years old! With the oldest resident being 25 years of age. The penguins breed on the coastal mainland and islands of Southern Australia and New Zealand.

Visitors that decide to experience the evening viewing will get the chance to see the penguins come home from a long day of fishing. When the penguins arrive on the beach, they then make their way up a stony ramp and cross into the Colony. Guests will be informed of the penguin’s lifestyle during a commentary that is delivered by one of the guides. When sitting in the general entry grandstand you will be roughly 10 to 15 metres away from the little guys!

For more information such as viewing times and directions, please visit the colony’s website!

• Adult price $40
• Senior/Student price $36
• Child price (5-17 years) $25
• Family pass (2 adults + 2 kids) $105
• Premium evening viewing from $49.50
• No filming or photography is permitted during evening viewing