Blue Penguins Pukekura Experience

BLUE PENGUINS PUKEKURA EXPERIENCE TOUR (1.5 Hours)

At dusk, enjoy close up viewing of little penguins returning from a day at sea within the Takiharuru Pilots Beach nature reserve. Watch penguins just a few metres from us as they scurry up the beach to their cliff-face burrows, often stopping just metres from us, allowing for awesome viewing and photography of these birds in their natural habitat.

Blue Penguins Pukekura tours are hosted by local expert wildlife guides who share the rich cultural history of the area while also sharing biological knowledge of endemic flora and fauna.

It's the mission of Blue Penguins Pukekura to ensuring the protection of the land and increase the diversity of wildlife in this nature reserve while also ensuring visitors experience one of nature’s marvels. We want our visitors to have an experience of a lifetime and their reviews often say this is the best wildlife experience they have had in New Zealand.

Viewing of the Little Blue Penguins is guaranteed and this is an attraction and an experience not to be missed when visiting Dunedin, NZ's wildlife capital.

BOOKINGS ARE ESSENTIAL WE ARE OFTEN SOLD OUT ON THE DAY

This 90 minute tour starts from within the royal albatross centre situated at the end of the Otago Peninsula at Taiaroa Head. Hear local stories and understand how the plentiful resources, the shape and position of this headland led to the area's use by different iwi (tribes) over many centuries.

The beach we visit has a population of over 300 breeding pairs of kororā/little penguins. It is now the largest blue penguin colony on the Otago Peninsula (CHECK OUR WEBSITE for up-to-date estimates of penguin numbers expected).

At sunset we watch for penguins s to return from sea. Penguin arrival time does vary from night to night and we highly recommend our guests come prepared by wearing extra layers of clothing. It can get cold when the sun goes down so for your enjoyment, wearing extra layers of clothes will help to make this one of your most memorable wildlife experiences. 

We use diffused lights to view the penguins at night (these don’t harm or cause any disturbance to the birds).

We are the only blue penguin viewing location that allows photography at night- however no flash photography is permitted.

Please check in within the albatross centre 15 minutes prior to your tour start time.

There is plenty of car, bus or camper parking spaces at the albatross centre.

Note****The albatross centre is only open 30 minutes prior to the Blue Penguin Pukekura tour start time****

Fitness: 

A low level of fitness is required but there is a 4-minute walk from the Royal Albatross Centre down to our viewing platform. The walk involves a moderately steep gravel path (no handrails) before joining a boardwalk that has over 60 steps in built into it.