St. Kilda Penguin Colony From Melbourne
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It’s easy and free to see wild penguins in Melbourne.
How To See Wild Penguins Near Melbourne: (Jump To)
I was obsessed from the first moment a guidebook mentioned the possibility of seeing penguins in the wild while in Melbourne. I know that it’s boring and basic, but I love penguins. Take me to the penguin exhibit at the zoo and leave me there for the day, I’m fine with that. This was going to be my opportunity to see them in the wild. Penguins, living their lives, doing penguin things, all for me.
The Phillips Island Penguin Parade
The first place I read about was a penguin colony on Phillips Island. It’s universally advertised as a tourist attraction called The Penguin Parade. Adorable. On the map, it looks very close to Melbourne, but I couldn’t find a way there on public transportation, and five hours round trip is a very expensive Uber.
We hadn’t planned to rent a car so the only option left was an organized tour. When I looked into the tours they were all prohibitively expensive (over USD$100 per person) and typically included other stops that I wasn’t crazy about. Not to mention we weren’t so keen on using an entire day of our minimal time in Melbourne on a penguin hunt. My penguins in the wild dream was quickly slipping away.
St. Kilda Penguin Colony
Later in my planning, I happened to be reading an interview with comedian and Please Like Me creator and star, Josh Thomas. Much of the show was filmed in the Melbourne area. He was asked to list some of his favorite places in Melbourne. That’s the first time I heard about the St. Kilda Pier.
Apparently, there is a small colony of penguins living off the coast. Shortly after sunset they swim in from the ocean and climb onto the rocks of the pier to do whatever it is that penguins do. I assumed this was a rarity, but after some research, I learned that this is one of Melbourne’s best-kept secrets. So I added it to the itinerary and hoped for the best.
How To See Penguins in Melbourne on Public Transportation
On one of our last evenings in Melbourne, we took the Number 96 tram from the city center and in less than fifteen minutes we were at St. Kilda Beach. From the tram stop, we walked about five minutes to the pier. We arrived well before sunset to make sure we could get a spot.
We decided to grab a quick meal at the St Kilda Pier Kiosk, a tiny on-the-pier restaurant with a nice patio and pretty okay burgers and fries. The penguin viewing platform is just past the restaurant.
St. Kilda Pier Penguin Viewing Spot
The viewing platform is nothing special. There are a few informational signs, but it's really nothing more than a wood platform. We got to the viewing area almost exactly an hour before sunset. I think there were five or so other people there before us, so it was easy to get a front-row view.
During the next hour, the platform began to fill up, then became very crowded. People even filled the area above us on the pier. We had been sitting there for about an hour when the sun finally set. We sat with anticipation waiting for the penguins to come and be seen.
The colony of penguins is a species called Little Penguins. They are the smallest of all penguin species averaging just over a foot tall. They are wearing grayish-blue tuxedos and live off the coasts of Australia and New Zealand.
About thirty minutes after sunset a clammer began among the viewing crowd as the penguins began to come ashore. One by one they were visible for fleeting moments as they hopped ashore and quickly dashed into hiding.
I wish we had staked out a spot closer to the rocks and not in the middle of the platform as we weren’t very close to them. We were able to see them though, so it was a mission accomplished.
Tips and Summary
If I were to do it again, I would show up almost exactly at sunset and sit past the penguin viewing area as close to the rocks as possible. I would also bring something to sit on as the wood dock was uncomfortable on the bum by the two-hour mark.
If we had gone to Phillips Island, I suspect we would have seen a much larger group of penguins. Here we saw only 2 or 3 as they came ashore. However, we were able to relax on the pier, watch the sunset over the harbor and the skyline of Melbourne, then see real penguins in the wild for absolutely free.
All in all, this was a win.
If you’re also looking for a Kangaroo, check out our How to See Wild Kangaroo Close to Melbourne post. We also had countless animal encounters including seeing a wild koala on our Great Ocean Road Tour.
