Penguins and seals

Here’s where you can see them in the wild without leaving town

Penguins

Victoria is home to several fairy penguin (also called little penguin) colonies, but there are a few rules to penguin spotting. Stay quiet, still and out of their way so you don’t scare them. If you must bring a torch, make sure you put red cellophane over the bulb to minimise brightness.

St Kilda

The St Kilda colony lives in the breakwater – the rocky outcrop at the end of the pier, past the kiosk. Standing on the boardwalk will give you the best view, but don’t go onto the rocks as it scares the penguins nesting beneath them. Photos are permitted (no flash), and visitors are asked to obey the volunteer penguin guides.

Phillip Island

Not only has Phillip Island produced a healthy population of seals and Hemsworths, it’s also home to a big colony of fairy penguins. Every day a parade of penguins waddles up the beaches at sunset heading towards their burrows. Visitors can watch them from the beach or in specially built tunnels for a fee – or see them anytime via the penguin burrow camera.

Sea Life Melbourne

The aquarium’s ‘penguin passport’ experiences let you join king and gentoo penguins in their icy enclosures. The experience includes all-day entry to the rest of the aquarium.

Seals

Seals can be found across Victoria’s coastlines, and the creatures aren’t shy. These cute critters can be spotted as close to Melbourne as Docklands. For your best chance of seeing a flippered friend in the wild, visit these locations during breeding season, October to December.

Phillip Island

The island is home to the largest fur seal colony in Australia. You’ll find the seals lolling about at the aptly named Seal Rocks on Phillip Island’s southwestern tip.

Chinaman’s Hat

About halfway between Sorrento and Queenscliff is an octagonal shipping marker called Chinaman’s Hat. The marker is almost always covered in seals sunbathing. If you don’t have a boat of your own you can join an eco tour. You can also see it distantly from Searoad Ferries.

Lady Julia Percy Island

Australia’s only offshore volcano is 22km from Port Fairy, and now home to a massive seal colony. You can’t land on the island (it’s a nature reserve), but sea charters from Port Fairy can take you around the island’s shore.