Oamaru Blue Penguin Colony

Korora, the little blue penguin, is the smallest penguin species in the world at about thirty centimetres and a kilogram. This colony formed itself in a disused quarry beside Oamaru harbour in the 1990s and has been managed since, with nest boxes, predator control and a research programme; numbers have risen substantially under management. The birds spend the day at sea and come ashore after dark in groups called rafts, waddling up the beach past the viewing stands to their burrows. Viewing is timed to sunset, so it is later in summer than in winter, and the whole thing takes about an hour. Photography is banned entirely - flash and even screens disturb the birds - which is enforced. Numbers vary night to night with the fishing, and the colony is open about the fact that some nights are thin. There is no guarantee.

What to look for

• The rafts coming ashore - groups landing together after dark.
• The colony - a recolonised quarry with managed nest boxes.
• The birds themselves - thirty centimetres tall, the smallest species.
• The research context - a monitored population, not a display.

When to go

Year-round, though numbers are highest November to February during breeding. Viewing time follows sunset - as late as 9.30pm in midsummer. Book ahead in summer.

What to expect

No photography at all, including phones - strictly enforced. Numbers vary and some nights are quiet. It is cold sitting still after dark on the coast; dress warmly. Viewing lasts about an hour.

Nearby

The Victorian Precinct and Steampunk HQ are a short walk; the Moeraki Boulders are south.

Key facts