1) all the best stuff went down in the pitch black darkness
2) the unnecessarily mean DOC volunteer, Norman, might have taken Keir out if he'd tried to snap one
We have grown increasingly determined to get to see the best of NZ's wildlife without being charged money to do so. Let us first say that we have no problem making donations or supporting viewing endeavours where all the money is going towards protecting the animals, but from what we've seen so far, it is all just going to greedy people trying to make money off tourists. So last night found us driving back out to the Albatross Centre at the tip of the Otago Peninsula where just outside there is a DOC viewing site (free!) for Little Blue Penguins.
The Little Blues are the smallest of their kind and are late arrivers. They tend to come in to their resting and nesting sites at dark. It was around 9:00 p.m. when Norman the DOC volunteer arrived and dark was falling fast. Already there were about 30 of us quietly waiting with binoculars and cameras in hand scanning the sea. Norman gathered us around and laid it down, "If you use a camera with a flash I will loose it on you - don't test me. These little penguins are really little and if they are disturbed at all - that means flashes or loud noises - they will turn around and head back out, even if they have chicks to feed".
Check! No noises. No flashes. Norman spoke for another 5 minutes basically repeating this ad naseum. When I asked him something specifically to do with the penguins, he replied, "I don't know anything about that little darling". Alright then.
They arrive in little penguin "rafts" — a group really. Sometimes as two, five, or thirty plus. The first few that arrived we were actually able to see. They looked like inflated eggs tottering up the beach to the rocks.
Once arriving on the beach, they wait there for 15 -30 minutes (it is not known why - by Norman or by researchers) before heading up to their little ones or to their resting area.
It was very dark when they started up from the beach to the viewing area. Someone took a photo and the flash went off. Norman went through the roof. "What the hell did I tell you people!" he screamed. Yes, screamed. I was certain the Little Blues would leave and NEVER return at that point.
Yet, there were their little white bellies glowing in the dark, making their way across the grass. The hills were a cacophony of trills and calls. Every so often, Norman would sweep his red-light-only torch across the area and the Blues would be illuminated.
At one point, one passed about a foot in front of me. It was, well, really really little! And yes, my hand was firmly clamped over my mouth so all the squeals of excitement were made internally!
By 10:30, we were so very cold and had to head back up the walkway. There were, maybe 30-40 penguins at that point. How happy we were!
Okay, one photo from Google images, just to show the Little Blues...
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