Penguins

The little blue penguin (Eudyptula minor/kororā) is the world’s smallest penguin, and you can see them right here in Auckland’s Hauraki Gulf.

These tiny birds are a medium to dark blue with a white underbelly and a strong hooked bill. stand at just over 25cm high and weigh around 1kg. Yet they are capable of travelling as far as 25km offshore!

Little blue penguins spend most of their time in coastal areas and come ashore at night to their nesting areas on many of the Hauraki Gulf islands.

Their current conservation status is at risk/in decline. Threats to the little blue penguin include dogs and other predators, entanglement in fishing lines and other debris, and water clarity (because penguins use their eyes to hunt).

Penguins feed mainly on small fish, squid and crustaceans. We often see them during the day on our whale watching safaris, bobbing around by themselves or in small groups (known as rafts) on the ocean looking for their next feed.