Little Penguin Nightly Parade (Phillip Island) — Montague Island

About this spectacle

Each evening at dusk, little penguins (the world's smallest penguin species) emerge from the sea at Montague Island and waddle ashore to their burrows in a natural nightly procession. Visitors watch in near-silence as compact, blue-feathered birds navigate the rocky shoreline, calling to their mates and chicks. The island setting off the New South Wales coast amplifies the atmosphere — salt air, crashing waves, and the soft shuffle of hundreds of small birds moving past your feet. Rangers manage viewing areas to protect the colony while allowing close, intimate encounters. The experience is most vivid in the breeding and chick-rearing months when penguin numbers are highest. As darkness settles, the penguins become bolder, continuing their parade indifferent to quiet observers. It is a rare, unhurried wildlife encounter that rewards patience.

When to go

Sep — Apr, peak Oct — Feb

Getting there

Nearest airport: MIM. Nearest city: Batemans Bay.

Booking options

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