Their advice is 'Do not walk or wade across the sandbar to Penguin Island. Strong rips and currents can occur, water depth and conditions change rapidly. People have drowned attempting this crossing. Use the ferry service at all times.
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Make a weekend of your wildlife encounters with our overnight stay & play packages. Spend the day exploring the islands and spotting the wildlife on a guided sea kayak tour!
A: Each day at dusk, just as the sun is setting, the little fairy penguins come ashore to feed their young. They waddle up the beach to their nests, where they spend the night.
Most penguins return from the sea after dark. They can often be heard calling from out in the water and usually come ashore in small groups pausing briefly before heading off to individual burrows. Due to their movements on land penguins are often mistakenly thought of as nocturnal.
For Penguin Island, wear comfortable footwear. Most visitors wear thongs or sandals. Hats, sunscreen and a long sleeve or UV resistant shirt are recommended for sun protection. Bring swimmers and towels if you are planning water activities.
They are only active on land at night. They leave from the colony early in the morning before sun-rise, and return to the colony after dark. During the day, if the penguins decide not to go to sea, they will stay hidden inside their nests.
It only takes an hour to visit the penguins but if you have more time, go swimming, snorkeling, explore the nature trails or just relax and enjoy this beautiful nature reserve.
The distance between the mainland and Penguin island is approx. 850 metres so if you're considering doing the walk, consider whether or not you are capable of swimming this distance in a strong wind and seas. Report response as inappropriateThank you.
If you would just like to experience the guided wildlife walk, then you can do this and be back at the mainland in just over an hour, however we recommend you allow a minimum of 2 hours so you can at least explore a little bit.
Paddle straight across firstly to Penguin Island (approx.20 minutes). Seal Island is the next island across (to the north), The paddle here can be slightly choppy in between the islands and be cautious of the few rocks in between (although very visible and easy to see).
But when should you go to Antarctica to see penguins? Trips to Antarctica travel between November and March yet it's important to know exactly which penguins are doing what during which months so you don't go at a time when penguin viewing will be less than stellar. November is a beautiful time to go to Antarctica.